


An Empty Barstool

by Endraking



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alec is a Little Shit, Alpha Chimera Theo Raeken, Alpha Theo Raeken, Angst, Another Pack - Freeform, Beacon Hills Protector Theo, Brett and Lori Alive, Brett and Lori are in Theo's pack, Brett is a flirt, Chimera Nolan, F/M, Guilt-ridden Kira, Hunters vs Pack, M/M, Misunderstandings, Nett fluff, Nolan is a little shit, On the Run, Pack Bonding, Pack Dynamics, Pack Family, Pack vs Pack, Road Trips, Sad Liam, Sassy Nolan, Scott McCall is a Hale, Scott is bad with words, Scott trying to be a good friend/alpha, Theo has a chip on his shoulder, True Alpha Scott McCall, Weredeer Nolan, after college, bite gone wrong
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-01
Updated: 2018-05-08
Packaged: 2019-04-16 14:24:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 29,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14166816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Endraking/pseuds/Endraking
Summary: Scott heads back to Beacon Hills after college to establish his adult life.  He has to make a decision with regards to Theo, who has handled protecting Beacon Hills since the pack left for college.  This ultimately leads to Theo, and his pack, on the run from an ambitious pack and hunters leaving Scott's pack to deal with the new threats to Beacon Hills.





	1. An Empty Barstool

**Author's Note:**

> It took me far too long to even put this together. March is a bad month for me and my creative processes for certain. Hopefully this can help break the block. I hope you enjoy.

An Empty Barstool

 

 

Scott dusted off the loose dirt from his dark blue jeans and distressed black leather riding jacket while he cradled his crimson and black striped helmet.  His final trip from Davis back home had felt considerably longer than he had remembered any trip in the past.  It hadn’t hurt that he knew something he needed to do for a while in Beacon Hills and now was the time.  He took a moment to steady himself at the door, compose or at least try to remember the words that he thought of on his way back.  A light coat of sweat beaded on the alpha’s forehead as his throat dried and all thoughts about this talk fled.

He took another step into the worn down, wooden framed bar that stank of dried beer, stale sweat, and various bodily fluids.  The overhead lights were dim from a combination of the dimmer and the sheer number of blown out or damaged bulbs that hung from the various wires that made up the “chandeliers”.  He surveyed the room, three empty booths to his left with a jukebox and pool table not far from them.  A line of empty chairs and tiny metal tables the followed the opposing wall until it reached the bar area.  The bar itself was worn, the lacquered top long since cracked and the inner lightness of the wood showed through in spots.  All the barstools were empty, save one, where Scott could see the torn and hole peppered black hoodie.  The bartender, an almost impossibly tall wolf cleaned a glass mug with only a passing glance at the alpha.  He listened to the heartbeats, two steady and one pounded loudly and erratically to alert any other wolves to its presence.  As he took another step, the black hooded man in matching worn skinny jeans asked casually, “Aren’t you going to sit down, Scotty?  Tonight’s a celebration.”

Scott stepped up to the barstool to the right of the dark-haired chimera, Theo, and sat down.  The bartender stepped over and asked, “What’ll it be, Scott?”

Scott shook his head before he glanced over to the chimera.  Theo’s face was still bruised and swollen with a nasty cut that lined the right side of his face, with a few drops of blood collected on the bar.  The chimera wore a beaten smile, a genuine one the alpha took note of, as he picked up his beer and took drink.  Scott nervously grinned as he asked, “Shouldn’t you get that checked out?  I thought you’d heal by now.”

Theo shook his head before he looked to Scott.  He smirked as he responded, “I am perfectly fine treating my wounds with a cold one.  They’ll heal by the morning.”  The chimera took another deep drink from his mug before he asked, “So, why are you so nervous Scott?  The big bad goblins are dealt with and the town is safe again.”

The tall wolf questionably laughed, “Goblins?  Like little monsters?”

The chimera smirked as he replied, “Yes, six of them.  Little four-foot-tall things with nasty attitudes, claws and teeth, able to eat just about anything.”

The tall wolf barely held back his laughter as he uttered, “So, you fought a pack of Liams.”

Theo punched the tall wolf on the side of his arm, almost causing him to drop the mug he was cleaning, “Not funny, Lurch.  Of course, you would say that.”  He turned to Scott, “You were saying.”

Scott cleared his throat as the chimera’s greys burned into him.  He began, “I’m moving back to town to take over the clinic.”

Theo nodded and interrupted, “Congrats on graduating and your marriage.”

Scott set the helmet on the bar and rubbed the back of his head before he continued, “Thanks.  I wanted to talk to you about Beacon Hills and how you handled things while we were gone.”

Theo released a single laugh and slapped Scott on the shoulder, “The town was safe with me, and when I needed more muscle” The chimera glanced to the bartender and gave a knowing grin, “Brett.”  Brett cracked a half smile as he set down the glass and watched the two.

The alpha weakly laughed before he continued, “Well, that’s good but with Malia and I coming back and Stiles transferring to work out of a satellite office in Sun Valley- “

Theo interrupted him with a raised eyebrow, “Are you serving me my pink slip?”

Scott shook his head, “No, not that.”

Theo nodded slowly, “So what are saying?  Am I going to get a few nights off a week?”

The alpha replied, “I want you to work with us, join the pack.”

The chimera sighed and looked back to his beer, “I respectfully decline the offer Scott.”

Scott pleaded, “Theo, we know and appreciate everything you’ve done, and I would like you to reconsider.”

The chimera almost snarled the response, “I didn’t stay here and protect the town for you.  I did it because it needed to be done.”

Brett slowly nodded his head and added, “Beacon Hills belongs to more than just the pack, Scott.”

Scott took in the words and repeated, “But you could join the pack, be a part of something bigger.”

Theo gripped his mug as he turned towards the alpha with his eyes narrowed, “I stick by my decision.  Something bigger?  What is that even supposed to mean, Scott?”

Scott stared at the bar as he collected his thoughts.  After a moment he responded, “Work with us.  In another year, maybe two, Liam will be back to stay.  I could give you the bite.”

Theo downed most of his beer before he responded, “Offering me power?  Are you serious?  Is that why you think I am still here?”

Scott sighed as he tried to calm his nerves and heartrate.  He noticed that Theo’s heartbeat was still steady while he was far more nervous than he should be, “No, that’s not what I meant.  I know it’s tough for an omega and I want you to know that you have a place with us.  You aren’t alone.”

Theo slapped on his smug grin, “Well, you are right about one part, I’m not alone.  I haven’t been alone for quite a while.”  The chimera looked to Brett and the tall wolf’s face reddened slightly.  Brett mocked a gasp and replied, “Theo, I never thought that I would ever _hear_ those words come out of your mouth.”

The chimera laughed, “You provide a good balance.  That and there are many higher than normal shelves.”

Brett smirked as he playfully responded, “Asshole.”

Scott took a deep breath before he continued, “You could be in a pack and have an alpha- “

Theo interrupted Scott and looked into his eyes.  The chimera’s eyes glowed golden as he coldly replied, “Why would I want an alpha?”  As the chimera said the word alpha, his eyes shifted to dark red.  Scott’s flared in response.  He barely muttered a how before Brett answered, “We had to deal with a violent pack almost a year and a half ago.  They tried to claim Beacon Hills as their territory.  Theo fought their alpha single-handedly and killed him.”

Theo continued the story, “I took his power too.  But something tells me that isn’t the only reason you came back.”

Scott audibly swallowed before he said, “Kira is coming back.  She wants to see you.”

The chimera’s grip tightened on his glass mug, “Then tell her no.  I don’t owe her anything.”

Scott stood up and faced the chimera.  His tone lightened as he said, “That’s not what I meant.  She just wants- “

The glass shattered in the chimera’s hand before he spat, “I don’t care what she wants.”  Brett quickly began to clean up the glass as Theo slowly calmed himself down.  He asked, “When does she want to see me?”

Scott whispered, “Tomorrow evening.”

Theo stood up and faced the true alpha.  He stared him down with his eyes burning red, “Got it.  I’ll be gone by then.”  The chimera began to step away from the bar and Scott reached out and grabbed his shoulder.  The true alpha didn’t have time to react before the chimera’s fist struck his jaw and knocked him into the bar.

Scott recovered from the hit and rubbed his jaw as he looked to Brett, “That didn’t go well.”

Brett sarcastically responded, “You don’t say.”  He shook his head before he asked, “Did you want to piss him off?”

Scott looked to the floor as he responded, “No, I thought I was being genuine.”

Brett laughed at the true alpha, “You came in here to meet him, after he just finished solving yet another problem here, offered him what he wanted when he was under the Dread Doctor’s control, reminded him that all the people who still hate him are coming back, dangled the prospect of your beta, who he is still probably pining for, over his head and ended it with saying the kitsune who sealed him in hell is back and wants to see him.  You really don’t think things through.”

Scott’s anger rose, and he released a growl that was equally met by Brett, “That’s not what I meant!”

Brett closed his eyes as he responded, “That’s the message you sent.”

Scott took a deep breath and sighed as he sat back down.  He weakly stated, “I think I could go for a drink now.”

Brett smirked and replied with a bit of venom in his voice, “Bar’s closed.  I’ve got to tell Lori and start packing.”

Scott gasped, “What?”

Brett nodded, “Yeah, with our alpha leaving town, we are heading with him.”

 

It was after midnight by the time Theo loaded the last of his things into his truck.  He stared at the empty room of the apartment he shared when the door opened.  He looked back to see Parish step into the living room and toss his badge and keys on the coffee table.  The deputy looked to the chimera and asked, “Where are you going?  I saw your truck packed.”

The chimera smugly responded, “Where I’m wanted.”

The hellhound rubbed the bridge of his nose as he sat on the large, puffy, black leather sofa, “Theo, we want you here.  Beacon Hills needs you.”

The chimera’s face darkened, “Beacon Hills will be just fine.  Its true alpha is back reuniting the old pack.  It’ll be like old times.”

Parrish argued, “You’ve earned your place here.  You don’t need to leave.”

Theo glared at the hellhound, “You know Scott doesn’t approve of my methods and with the kitsune coming back, I’d rather risk the open road than another trip to hell.”  His words softened as he continued, “Thank you for letting me stay here.”

Parrish firmly asked, “So your decision is made?”

Theo nodded once, “Yeah.”

The deputy sighed and responded, “Alright.  You’ve got my number and the Sheriff’s.  Take care.”

Theo walked over to the deputy and extended his hand.  Parrish shook it as Theo said, “I will.  If you need anything, phones work two ways.”

Parrish half smiled as he released the handshake and the chimera walked out of the apartment.

 

Theo reached his truck and hopped in.  He checked his mirrors to make sure that he could drive with the boxes in the bed and backseat.  He slowly drove towards the paved entrance to the parking lot.  Before he could reach the road, Liam, clad in BHHS training clothes jumped in front of his truck.  Theo slammed on brakes and lowered his window.  He shouted, “Move Liam.”

The wolf held his arms towards the truck and yelled, “No!  You were going to leave town without even telling me!”

The chimera put his truck in park and killed the engine.  He opened the door and stepped out as the wolf walked towards him.  With his cockiest smirk, he replied, “That was the idea.  Saves us on long goodbyes and moments like this.”

With tears in his eyes, the little wolf struck the chimera’s nose and sent him into the side of his truck.  Theo yelled out, “Fuck, you broke my nose, again.  This is why I wanted to leave without saying anything.”

Liam wiped his eyes before he said, “I can’t believe you were going to leave without saying anything.”

Theo wiped his nose before a dark grin twisted across his face, “Funny, Little Wolf, how long have you been back in town?  A few days, almost a week now.  I haven’t seen or received a message from you.”

Liam bit his lip before he nervously stumbled over his words, “It’s not like that.  I’ve just had things to deal with.  You know- “

Theo growled deeply as he cut off the wolf, “Exactly.  So, don’t try to turn this into some I’m trying to wound you or our friendship bullshit.”

Liam weakly replied, “But you’re my responsibility.”

Theo narrowed his eyes as they flashed deep red, “Do you want to try and say that again, Liam?”

Liam met the gaze briefly before averting his eyes.  The wolf’s anxiety skyrocketed, and he tried to gather his thoughts.  A few moments passed, and Theo turned to get back into his truck.

Liam argued back, barely controlling his emotions, “Scott just wants you to join us.  He accepts you.”

Theo’s rage rose as he stepped to the wolf and glared at him, “I never asked for that.  I could give a damn what he thinks.  Your pack should be happy, the villainous chimera is leaving town.”

Liam met the glare and responded, “No one is happy you are leaving.  I’m not happy.  We want you to stay.”

Theo sneered as he looked away from the wolf, “We?  Your pack doesn’t give a damn about me.  I’m fine with it and you need to come to terms with that.”

Liam pleaded, “That’s not true Theo, they care about you.”

The sneer shifted into a dark grin as the chimera replied, “Really?  Open your phone to the last text Stiles sent to the pack about me.”

Liam’s eyes widened as the realization hit and he looked to the pavement, “B-but that’s Stiles.”

Theo slowly lifted his eyebrow as he asked, “And Malia?  Lydia?  Derek?”

Liam took a deep breath and released it before he looked into the chimera’s cold, grey eyes, “Alright.  Lydia thinks you deserve a chance.”

Theo rolled his eyes, “Deserve a chance?  I guess she came to that conclusion when I stopped the rabid pack from killing her mother.”  His reply grew bitter with sarcasm, “How very gracious of her.  How gracious of all of them.  That’s probably why they want me to meet with Kira.  Pros and Cons on sending me back.  So, fuck that.”

Liam’s eyes misted as he took the harsh words and answered, “Theo, I want you to stay.  I lo- “

Theo slammed his open palm against the wolf’s chest and pinned him to the side of the truck.  His eyes burned the deepest red as he growled the words, “Don’t you fucking dare do that, Liam!  I confessed my feelings over two years ago and you couldn’t handle it.  You didn’t know what you wanted.”  Theo leaned in close as Liam looked away, a tear rolling down his face, “You don’t get to pop into MY life whenever you feel like it and torture MY waking hours with thoughts that we could be together.”

Liam barely whispered as he met the chimera’s eyes again, “Please, Theo.”

The fragile words hung in the air and Theo released his grip and took a step back.  He looked away from the wolf as his arms began to shake.  Liam stepped forward, the slightest smile began to form as he reached out to touch Theo’s shoulder.  His smile shifted as he heard the guttural murmurs coming from the chimera, “The sun, the moon, the truth.”

The wolf looked to the chimera’s hands and saw the blood seeping through the tightly held fingers and palms.  Liam asked, “Wait.  I thought I was your anchor?”

Theo’s rage fumed as he menacingly muttered, “You stopped being my anchor when you chose to cut me out of your life.”

Liam’s face fell, and he struggled to catch a breath.  The built tears fell as Theo requested, “Liam, forget about me.  Forget about this night and leave me alone.”  After a painful, soul-crushing silence, with dead words the chimera continued, “Leave before I do something I know I will regret.”


	2. While You Were Gone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liam remembers his last serious interaction with Theo; Scott leads a pack meeting on re-establishing the pack in Beacon Hills; Liam and Kira leave to track down Theo's pack

While You Were Gone

 

 

Liam stood in shock, his mouth still open, his limbs refusing to move, as the chimera drove his truck away from his life in Beacon Hills.  The words still stung the wolf, _“You stopped being my anchor when you chose to cut me out of your life.”_   He couldn’t believe the amount of rage and sorrow that flowed from the chimera when he dropped that revelation.  He remembered his weakness, at the time, and how it hurt the man he loves but this was supposed to become his second chance.  He blinked away the new tears that gathered as he reflected on that time.

 

_A month before Liam went off to college.  Both young men sat, shirtless and in gym shorts, at the edge of the wolf’s bed, Xbox controllers in hand as they played another round of Call of Duty.  Liam grinned as Theo killed him easily, something that rarely happened when the wolf first taught the wayward chimera how to play but came a lot more frequently now.  He glanced at Theo and caught a small grin on the man’s face.  Liam playfully ribbed, “You’ve been playing without me.  I knew you broke into my room when I’m at school.”_

_Theo self-assuredly protested, “Do you think I need to practice without you to get better?  Come on Little Wolf, you can do better.”_

_Liam chuckled lightly as he bumped his shoulder into the chimera at just the right time to break his concentration as he killed his digital persona.  The wolf glanced to the chimera and saw a mischievous grin form.  The chimera stated, “If that’s how we are going to play this game.”_

_Both men stared at the screen as they played the game and when their avatars approached each other again, Theo reached over and smacked the controller out of Liam’s hand just in time to kill his character again.  The Little Wolf playfully growled as he leaned down and picked up his controller.  His avatar respawned close to Theo’s and he threw himself into Theo’s lap as he killed the chimera’s character._

_Theo light-heartedly groaned as he threw the wolf backwards onto the bed, which caused his controller to fly into the far corner.  Liam scrambled towards the controller and tumbled off the bed.  He heard the frantic movements of the chimera’s fingers as he rushed for his controller.  He managed to grab it and stand up just in time to watch the chimera kill his character again.  He growled and tackled Theo off the side of the bed.  Both controllers flew as the men fell to the floor.  Liam barely got to his feet before Theo grabbed him by his shoulders and slammed him on the bed._

_Liam quickly hooked his hands around the chimera’s arms and rolled him onto the bed.  The two men jockeyed for dominance, flipping each other for several minutes before they were both red faced and winded.  On the last roll, Theo straddled Liam and held his hands high above his head.  The chimera grinned, “Gotcha, Little Wolf.”_

_Liam attempted to overpower the chimera’s grip and struggled against him, as Theo slowly lowered his torso to keep leverage.  They were almost chest to chest when their eyes met.  Liam noticed a shift in the chimera’s expression just before Theo leaned forward and kissed him.  Surprise shot through the wolf as his body enjoyed the sensation of the rough kiss full of want, desire, and need, so much different than the kisses he shared with Hayden.  He couldn’t even register exactly what was happening before the chimera pulled back and released his grip on the wolf’s hands.  Theo softly smiled and whispered, “I love you, Liam.”_

_Liam’s eyes widened and his brain short circuited as he tried to comprehend everything that just happened.  It didn’t hurt that he was distracted by his firm member pressed against the chimera’s equally hard member.  He barely squeaked out an, “Okay.”  Doubt filled the wolf as the chimera pulled away and lifted himself off the wolf.  Theo’s eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at the wolf.  Liam nervously laughed as the chimera stated, “Okay?”_

_Liam sat up as Theo stood to walk to the door.  He nervously replied, “No, Theo.  I mean, I don’t know.  This is a lot.”_

_Theo turned to face the wolf, a look of hurt flashed across his face before his smug grin appeared, “Don’t worry about it Liam.  It was worth a shot and at least now you know how I feel.”_

_Liam hopped to his feet and grabbed Theo’s hand, “It’s not that.  I just, Thank you Theo.  I have stuff to think about, is that okay?”_

_Theo lightly smiled as he nodded his head, “That’s alright Little Wolf.  When you are ready, we can talk about it.”_

Liam sighed.  He hadn’t spoke to Theo about that declaration since it was made those years ago.  When he went to college, he had dodged the phone calls and didn’t go to see the chimera when he was in town.  He resigned himself that he had unintentionally cut Theo, his Theo out of his life.  He took a deep breath before releasing a forlorn sigh and slowly walked home in the light drizzle.

 

 

Scott stood at the head of the examination table in the vet clinic.  It was after hours so the only sounds heard were the animals that were sheltered overnight and the members of the pack.  He took a deep breath as he looked around the room and took inventory of his pack.  Lydia stood to his immediate left, in a blue suit with her hair pulled up.  Stiles stood next to her in his G-man outfit, complete with fed shades that sat on top of his head.  Derek stood on the opposite side of the table, in a grey Henley, jeans, and his usual leather jacket.  Beside him stood Kira, in a fluorescent red t shirt, jeans, and denim jacket.  Malia flanked her in her earth toned shirt and jeans with Liam standing next to his alpha in BHHS training clothes.  Parrish stood next to the exit, still in uniform as he leaned against the wall with his arms crossed.

Scott cleared his throat before he began, “Well, we are all back here again.”

Kira’s head darted around before she looked to Scott, “Isn’t Theo supposed to be here?”

Scott lowered his head as he thought of the words to say but Parrish chimed in, “He left town last night.”

Kira sighed and released a meek “Oh” and Liam lowered his head.  Stiles laughed once and stated, “Good.  Now we don’t have to worry about him.”

Liam’s head rose as he growled at Stiles while Lydia smacked the agent’s arm.  Stiles shrugged with mock innocence as Derek rolled his eyes.  Parrish commented, “You wouldn’t feel that way if you knew what he did for you.”  The deputy looked around the room, “For all of you.”

Scott raised his head and commented, “Theo left, and we need to be prepared to take over and deal with anything that he might have started before he left.”

Liam looked to his alpha, “Shouldn’t we try to stop him?  I mean at least until we know what has happened.”

Scott slowly shook his head and briefly made eye contact with the kitsune, “I don’t think that would be possible.”

Liam argued, “Well, Why not?  We’ve tracked down people before.”

Kira looked to the beta and softly replied, “It’s because of me.”

Lydia replied, “We don’t know that Kira” while Malia chimed in, “Good.  That’s a win.”

Liam growled at Malia and she returned the gesture to him.  Derek pinched the bridge of his nose before he loudly stated, “We don’t need to argue.  He’s gone.  We have to reestablish our presence.”

Scott nodded emphatically, “I agree.  We have threats to deal with even if we don’t know who they are yet.”

Parrish stepped towards the table and stated, “You have a few less because of Theo.  I’m pretty sure the band of hunters and the murderous pack on the outskirts of town will be leaving shortly to find him if they haven’t already.”

Liam looked to the deputy, his eyes wide, “What?  Why?”

Parrish looked to Liam briefly before addressing Scott, “They think he is the true alpha.”

Scott looked confused as Stiles asked, “Now why would they think that?”

Parrish looked to Stiles, “Because Theo spread the rumor that he was the true alpha when he found out they were coming to Beacon Hills.  After he killed the alpha that was trying to take over the territory, his red eyes made it believable.”

Scott shook his head and asked, “Why would he do that?”

The deputy answered, “Because he didn’t want them to track you down when you only had Malia at your side.  He figured that he would be able to neutralize them here.”

Malia smirked, “So he bit off more than he could chew.”

Stiles nodded and added, “But what’s in it for him?  Theo never does anything without some sort of gain.”

Scott looked to Stiles, “That isn’t true.  He stayed here and protected our home without being asked and without reward.”

Before the argument could continue, Kira gasped, “That means he’s all alone with them tracking him.  We have to help him.”

Liam looked to Scott, his eyes pleading for an answer as the alpha responded, “He isn’t alone.  He has a pack, Brett and Lori are with him.”

Liam gasped, “Brett and Lori are alive?  I saw them die by the hunters.”

Parrish shook his head, “No, they are alive.  They surprised the coroner when he went to do an autopsy and they were breathing.  It’s taken quite a while for them to heal but Theo made sure they were protected.  That’s probably why they made him their alpha.”

Lydia asked, “Then they should be enough to protect themselves, right?”

Derek shook his head and added with a neutral tone, “Doubtful.  With their injuries, I doubt they are even completely ready for a fight like that.”

Parrish nodded with Derek’s comment, “There’s a reason Theo took on every threat to Beacon Hills almost single handedly, he was protecting his pack.”

Stiles scoffed, “You’re kidding right?  Theo protect his pack?  This has got to be a joke.  He probably did it because he didn’t want to share in killing people.”

Liam growled at the agent while Stiles smirked at the beta.  Malia asked, “So Theo has been killing again?”

Parrish nodded as Scott lowered his head in thought, “Yeah.  But not like you think.  He killed the alpha, he killed the pack that wanted to turn Beacon Hills into their own private blood sport town and he killed the spark that was trying to resurrect the dead.  But he didn’t have another choice.”

Scott raised his head, his eyes red, “There is always another choice.”

Parrish argued, “Not when you are single-handedly trying to fight against forces that a whole pack would have issues fighting.  I’m not condoning his actions but after witnessing his struggles, I understand.”

Malia glared at the deputy, “So you are pro-Theo now?”

Parrish returned the glare, “Yeah.  He’s not the man you remember.”

Kira looked to Scott, “We have to help him.”  Liam agreed, “Scott, we have to find him.  They could be hunting him down as we speak.”

Malia shook her head, “No way.  He earned this.”  Stiles agreed with the coyote, “He chose to leave.  We aren’t going to try to save a man who clearly doesn’t want our help.”

Scott shook his head and looked to Derek, “What do you think?”

Derek closed his eyes and took a deep breath before he replied, “I think our presence is needed here now.  We don’t know where he is, and we can’t risk another pack claiming the territory.”

Scott nodded and stated, “Then that’s what we’ll do.”

Liam glared at Scott, “Fuck that.  I’m going to go find him.” 

Scott looked to his beta, “Liam.  You only have a few days before you have to head back to school.”

Liam sneered, “So.  I’ll miss school if it means saving his life.”

Scott argued as his eyes flashed red, “You can’t go.”

Liam’s eyes flashed gold as he yelled, “Fuck you.  You can’t stop me!”  Liam ran out the back exit.  Kira called out for him and ran after him. 

Scott sighed as he looked around the room.  Stiles asked, “Should we send someone else to stop him?”

Malia shrugged, “Why?  Liam won’t be able to find him.”

Derek asked Scott, “You’re just going to let your beta go?”

Scott nodded, “Yeah.  If we try to stop him, he’s just going to find another way.  Maybe Kira can convince him.”

Lydia looked to Scott, “You know she’s just going to go with him, right?”

The alpha looked confused as he looked to the banshee, “What?”

Lydia smirked as she responded, “Kira wants to talk to Theo.  About sending him to hell.”

Scott’s eyes widened at the realization and Parrish addressed the pack again, “And then there is the issue of the missing persons that Theo was working on.”

 

Liam managed to make it into his white, Honda Accord before Kira reached him.  He turned the car on as she climbed into the passenger seat.  He glared at her, “What do you think you are doing?”

She smirked at him, “Helping you find Theo.  I need to talk to him and if that means we have to save his life first, then that’s what I’m going to help do.”

Liam doubted her words as he backed out of the parking, “You’re serious?”

Kira smiled genuinely, “Let’s go save Theo.”

Liam laughed as they drove away from the clinic.

 

After several hours of driving almost aimlessly, Liam and Kira contacted Parrish and were able to get him to tap into Brett’s phone’s GPS.  They followed the signal as it travelled towards Nevada.  They stopped to get fuel near the California and Nevada Border.  Liam stretched his legs as he pumped the gas into his car.  He looked around at the empty pumps and parking lot as he took in a deep breath.  He watched Kira walk towards the service center and a bit of nervous excitement filled him.  He was going to prove to Theo that he does care about him.  He grinned slightly before he heard movement inside his car. 

By the time the wolf looked into his car, the backseat was lowered, and Nolan laid across the back and waved to Liam.  Liam gasped, “Nolan?  What the hell are you doing?”

Nolan opened the back door and looked up at Liam, “I snuck into the trunk of your car because I wanted to go to the pack meeting.  I didn’t think it would take this long to get to the clinic.”

Liam shook his head as the pump dinged and stopped fueling.  He responded, “We aren’t at the clinic.  Do you know where we are?”

Nolan groaned as he held his head, “Stop yelling.  I have a killer headache from passing out in your trunk.”  The teen looked around and nonchalantly responded, “Oh, we’re near the California and Nevada border.”

Liam placed the pump handle back into the cradle as he said, “Yeah.  You know we aren’t going back to Beacon Hills soon, right?”

Nolan beamed a smile as he cheered, “Road trip!”  He pulled himself out of the car and raised the seat back into place.  Still smiling, he looked to Liam, “But seriously.  I need an aspirin or something because this is a killer headache.”

Kira walked back towards the car carrying a plastic bag that clearly held a few bottles.  She looked to the two men, “Liam, who is he?”

Liam looked to Nolan and then to Kira, “It’s Nolan, Kira.  He decided to tag along for the trip.”

Nolan looked to the kitsune and smiled as he waved, “Hi.  Please tell me you have some bottled water.”

Kira tossed a bottle to Nolan, who barely caught it as it fumbled around in his hands.  He took a long drink as she smiled nervously and said, “At least there are three of us now, right?”


	3. Are We There Yet?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liam, Kira, and Nolan travel to catch up to Theo's pack in the middle of the desert.

Are We There Yet?

 

 

Liam lazily gripped the steering wheel to his car as the sun threatened to crest over the horizon.  The muted reds and blues illuminated the desolate highway as they drove the desert roads across Nevada.  He yawned loudly as sleep threatened to overtake him, as his eyes burned with every blink.  He heard the gentle breaths of the slumbering kitsune in the passenger seat and noticed a shift in the teen that slept in backseat.  The wolf rubbed his eyes before he looked in the rearview mirror and saw Nolan stretch his lanky arms.  Liam looked to his cell which still placed Theo at least a hundred miles away from them, still heading into the desert.  The wolf reflected on his interactions with the chimera, all the way back to their first meeting.  He sighed as his memories played back against the backdrop of the empty road.

Nolan groaned, “Can you stop brooding over Theo?  It makes it hard to sleep.”

Liam glared in the mirror at Nolan, his voice a bit hoarse from his lack of sleep, “What are you talking about?”

Nolan stretched his long limbs and replied, “You’ve said Theo about a hundred times in the last hour or so.  It’s annoying.”

Liam’s chest rumbled, and his face reddened as he realized the teen was telling the truth.

Nolan rubbed his eyes as he released a long yawn and muttered, “Are we there yet?”

Liam shook his head and spoke, “Not yet.  They are still driving.”

Nolan continued to complain, “When are we going to get there?”

Liam fought back his growl as he replied, “I don’t know.  They are still driving.”

Nolan groaned as he stretched in the back seat, “I’m hungry, are they near somewhere to eat?”

The wolf tried to fight the anger, but the growl slipped out before he muttered, “I don’t know.  They are still driving.”

Nolan squeaked from the growl and whispered slowly softer as he mumbled, “sorry, I didn’t mean to make you mad and if you want I could drive so you can get some sleep.”

Liam tiredly relented and pulled the car into the next truck stop.  Kira slept in the passenger seat while Liam fueled up and Nolan walked inside.  The wolf looked at his cell as the meter continued to rise and noticed that Brett’s GPS ping stopped moving.  He grinned slightly and whispered, “We should be able to reach them now.”

Nolan walked back towards the wolf, a huge slushie in hand, as the wolf closed the gas cap.  He smiled, his lips already a fiery shade of red, as he said, “My turn to drive.  Give me the keys, Li.”

Liam groaned as he handed Nolan the keys and said, “Don’t call me Li.”

Nolan rolled his eyes, “It’s just short for Liam.”

Liam argued back as Nolan grinned, the tip of the red straw between his teeth, “Liam is already short.”

The grin grew as the teen spun the keys on the keyring and said, “I know.  I just wanted you to admit it.”

Liam growled, as his eyes shifted gold, “Fuck you Nolan.”

Nolan innocently smiled as he took a long slurp of the slushie, “Now.  Back seat and get some sleep.”

Liam climbed into the backseat after connecting his cell to the car GPS for them to continue to track Brett.  Nolan climbed in and drove in the direction of the ping.  Liam fought to stay awake but as soon as “Stitches” came over the speakers, he passed out.

 

When Liam woke up the first thing that caught him was the smell of burgers and fries.  The greasy meat and pickles fought against him even though his stomach churned ravenously.  The second thing he noticed was Kira and Nolan swaying in their seats as they sung along to “Lips are moving”.  He groaned as he felt the unusual amounts of bumps in the road and slowly opened his eyes.  The sky was already darkened, as night threatened to overtake day, and clouds of fine brown dust blew by the windows.  It took a moment for the wolf to recognize it, but he bolted up immediately when it dawned on him.  In a louder voice than he meant, he demanded, “Why are we off-roading?”

Nolan glanced back with a grin on his face, “Wakey, Wakey Liam.  I found a short cut.”

Liam looked out the windows and yelled, “We are driving through the middle of the desert.”

Kira looked back and smiled, “Yeah, Liam.  We are less than 5 miles from them.  Nolan wasn’t kidding when he said he found a short cut.”

Liam almost began to argue when Nolan added, “And they just stopped.  So, prepare your speech for the T-man.”

Liam took a deep breath and tried to gather his thoughts.  He realized that he meant to find Theo and warn him, but he hadn’t thought of what he would say about them.  He stared at the beige leather seats as his mind swam with thoughts, mostly of how Theo might run when they showed up.  He glanced up at the GPS and saw that they were less than a mile from Brett’s ping and screamed, “Stop the car!”

Nolan slammed on the brakes and the Accord spun over 360 degrees as they came to a rough stop.  Kira glared at the teen as Liam growled at him.  Nolan, wide eyed, shrugged with an innocent smile, “You said stop the car.  Wait, why are we stopping?  We’re almost there.”

Liam opened the rear passenger side door and said, “We don’t want them to notice that we are driving up on them.  We’ll walk from here.”

Kira nodded and opened her door while Nolan groaned, “Do we have to walk?”

Liam closed the door and began to walk in the direction of the GPS with Kira closely following him.  Nolan rolled his eyes and grabbed the cell and followed.  He locked the car and jogged to catch up to them.  Kira looked to Liam, “How are we going to do this?”

Liam shook his head, but an odd scent caught him.  His eyes glowed gold as he instinctually wolfed out.  Kira immediately grabbed her belt and extended her sword.  Nolan looked at both and asked, “Alright, what’s going on?”

Liam quietly spoke, “Hunters aren’t that far away.  Stay on guard.”

Nolan sighed and pulled out a tiny sized can of pepper spray.  Kira glanced at the teen, “Pepper spray?”

The teen smirked, “It’s not like I had a baseball bat in my pants.”

The three followed the gps ping until they saw two vehicles around a small campfire.  Theo’s truck was parked on one side of the fire with Brett’s dark green Subaru wagon on the other.  The three could make out the sounds of talking and laughter.  Nolan asked, “What are they talking about?”

Liam whispered, “Apparently, Lori thinks Brett is the worst Buddhist and Theo is laughing about religion in general.”

Kira commented, “So nothing serious.  Any signs of the hunters?”

Liam shook his head as his eyes fixated on the three.  He saw two figures standing, with one clearly towering over the other.  They continued to slowly move towards the camp until the smaller figure lunged towards the taller.  After a few slashes the taller figure charged the smaller and the wolf caught the smell of blood and darted towards them.  Kira looked back to Nolan and asked, “Should we run after him?”

Nolan rolled his eyes and sarcastically responded, “Yeah.  I’m going to charge at them with Rite Aid pepper spray.”

 

Liam managed to charge into the campsite with only Lori shifting to see him.  He saw Theo and Brett, wolfed out, as they attacked each other.  He jumped and slammed his shoulder into the tall wolf and easily knocked him to the dusty ground.  He ran to Theo and pushed the chimera backwards, away from the fallen wolf.  Before the two could realize what happened, Liam breathlessly asked, “Are you okay, Theo?”

Theo’s mind adjusted to the wolf’s presence and his eyebrow raised as he commented flatly, “I’m fine, Little Wolf.  I was sparring with my beta.”

Liam looked confused as he glanced back to the shirtless and jean clad taller wolf, whose wounds were healing, and back to the equally shirtless and jean clad chimera.  He nervously bit his lip and replied, “Oh.  I thought you were fighting.”

Lori glared at Liam, “If they were fighting, do you think I would be sitting next to the campfire?”

Liam glanced to Lori as Brett stood up and dusted himself off.  The tall wolf walked over to Liam and playfully rubbed the top of his head, “Good thing to know that you were trying to protect my alpha from me” and after a noticeable pause, “Little buddy.”

Liam growled at the taller wolf as Nolan stepped up towards the campsite as Kira stood outside it.  Theo glanced to Nolan and back to Liam, “What are you doing here, Little Wolf?”

Liam met Theo’s gaze and weakly responded, “I, um, I mean we came to warn you about the hunters and the other pack.”

Theo rolled his eyes, “I know, Liam.  I’m the one that made myself to be the target.”

Liam bit his lip before he responded, “Well, yeah, but you’re here all by yourself.  You’re in danger.”

Brett slapped Liam on the back and said, “He has us, Liam.  We can handle it.”

Liam glared up at Brett and realized something, “Brett, did you get taller?”

Brett grinned, “Yeah, I grew a bit more since almost dying.”

Nolan whisper commented, his eyes fixed on the tall wolf as he licked his lips to keep himself from drooling, “Did everything grow?”

Brett’s gaze quickly shifted to the teen, which caused Nolan to tremble slightly.  A predator grin formed on his face, “Maybe.”

Nolan’s eyes widened as he audibly swallowed, and Brett asked, “I’ve seen you before.  Who are you?”

Theo glared at the two, “Nolan is a hunter with Monroe.”

As Brett’s eyes narrowed, Nolan quickly corrected the chimera, “F-former hunter.  I don’t h-hunt anymore.”  He watched the taller wolf’s gaze soften and he tripped over his words, as he showed the pepper spray, “See.  N-nothing dangerous, um here, just pepper spray.  But m-maybe I’m-m the one in d-danger.” 

Brett licked his lips as walked towards Nolan.  Lori glanced to Kira and asked, “Who is she?”

Theo shifted his gaze to the kitsune and dropped into a defensive fighting stance.  Kira slowly walked towards the campfire and gently tossed her sword to the dirt before she stated, “Theo.  I just want to talk.”  She raised her hands as she stepped closer, “I’m not here for what you think.”

Theo growled back, “I don’t want to talk.”

Liam placed a hand on Theo’s shoulder which broke the chimera’s attention, “Theo, she came with me to help you.”

Theo snarled at the beta, “Why would she do that?”

Kira continued to step towards the chimera as Liam calmly stated, “Catch her scent.  What do you smell?”

Theo menacingly narrowed his eyes as he caught her scent.  A look of confusion filled his eyes first before spreading to his face.  He whispered, “Guilt and sorrow.”

The gentle words opened a well spring in the kitsune and a line of tears travelled down her face.  She weakly mumbled, “I’m sorry, Theo.”

Theo slowly stood up, still confused, as Kira closed the distance.  When she reached him, she threw her arms around his neck and cried into his chest as she mumbled, “I’m so sorry.  I didn’t know.  If I would’ve, then I wouldn’t have done that.”

After a moment, Theo returned the hug and whispered, “Liam told you?”

She shook her head and softly explained, “Before I left the skinwalkers, I asked them what happened.  They showed me exactly what happened to you.  I’m so sorry, Theo.  No one deserved that.”

Theo argued, “But Scott said you wanted to see me.”

She pulled away and looked into his eyes, “I do.  To apologize.”  She gently smiled as she weakly continued, “And hopefully make some kind of amends by helping you and your pack.”

After several minutes of silence, the two packs gathered around the fire.  Brett sat next to Nolan and almost immediately placed an arm around the human.  Nolan’s face blushed deeper than his slushie soaked lips which elicited a groan from Lori.  Liam sat next to Theo with Kira sitting across the fire next to Lori.

Lori looked to the three and asked, “So you three disobeyed your alpha to come help us?”

Nolan immediately responded, “I don’t have an alpha.  I am my own man.”

Brett leaned down and whispered, “You sure you don’t want one, Bambi?  I can be an alpha for a night.”  The tall wolf seductively grinned which caused Lori to roll her eyes before she glared at Liam, “Did you have to bring the human?”

Liam nervously responded, “He hid in my car.”

Theo looked to the beta and shook his head, “You didn’t smell Nolan in your car?”  He glared at the teen as he continued, “Everyone can smell, Bambi, right now.”

Nolan argued unconvincingly, “My name isn’t Bambi!”  He looked up to Brett with large doe eyes, “Is it?”

Brett’s grin widened as he gently spoke towards the teen’s ear, allowing his breath to flow over his overly sensitive ear, “Of course you are, Bambi.”

Kira looked to Lori and ignored Brett’s attempts, “I wouldn’t say disobeyed, more like we had different plans.”

Liam agreed with Kira, “Yeah.  The pack is handling the entire establishing presence thing while we came to help.  Parrish told us what you did.”

Theo laughed, “Leave it to Jordan.  I told him not to.  That man doesn’t listen.”

Liam looked to Theo and asked anxiously, “So, can we convince you to come back?”

Theo smirked and shook his head, “Nope.  That would be impossible.”

Liam pleaded, “Why?”

Theo groaned and closed his eyes a moment before he opened them and replied, “Because the hunters and the pack aren’t holding each other in check anymore.  I guarantee we are being tracked and it won’t be that much longer before their scouts find us.”

Kira commented, “Liam caught the scent of hunters almost a mile from here when we arrived.”

Theo’s eyes widened as he demanded, “Then why didn’t you say something?”

Liam quickly shook his head, “I forgot when I saw you and Brett trying to kill each other.”

Theo argued, “We were sparring.  You know, like how alphas keep their packs ready.”

Liam replied, “Scott didn’t do that with me.”

Nolan quickly commented, “Because he’s bad at his job.”

Liam glanced back to Nolan and saw Brett’s hand gently tracing the teen’s jawline.  He replied, “Scott isn’t bad and Brett, paws off the human.  He isn’t your chew toy.”

Brett flashed his golden eyes at Liam as he stated, “He isn’t your pack.  Plus, Nolan can be whatever he wants.”  Brett looked down at Nolan just in time to see the human’s eyes widen with fear as he lunged into the taller wolf.  As the teen’s body knocked him away, he registered the sound of a firearm being discharged and saw the spray of pink mist as a round made its contact with soft flesh.  Lori screamed, “Hunters!” as Kira grabbed her sword and jumped to her feet with Liam jumping to his as well.


	4. Bambi is a Bambi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pack handles the hunters and tries to deal with Nolan getting shot. Derek and Stiles see the effects of the threat to BH.

Bambi is a Bambi

 

 

Nolan screamed after his body tumbled for several feet while Liam and Kira charged towards the figures in the desert.  Brett got to his feet and ran to Nolan while Lori and Theo stood and watched Liam and Kira.  Lori asked, “Theo, shouldn’t we help them?”

Theo slowly shook his head, “There are only two hunters out there.  We need to hang back in case this is a divide and conquer plan.”

Lori nodded as Theo looked back to Brett.  The taller wolf held the teen’s hand and dark lines could easily be seen traveling up his arms.  The chimera asked, “Is he alright?”

Brett slowly shook his head as Nolan looked to the taller wolf, “It doesn’t really hurt but I’m bleeding.”  The teen rubbed the entrance wound on the right side of his stomach.  He continued, “I think I need a doctor.”

Brett growled at the teen, “Why did you push me out of the way?  I can heal.”

Theo turned and walked over to the injured teen while Lori watched Liam and Kira converge on the two hunters.

Nolan nervously smiled at Brett, “I was being heroic.  No one ever said it would hurt that much.”

Brett angrily responded, “You are just a human, Nolan.  Leave the heroics to us.”

Theo glanced at the wound on the teen and shrugged as he casually remarked, “He just saved your life Brett.  That placement and where you were sitting.  The bullet would’ve hit you almost square in the heart.”

The taller wolf gasped in surprise while Nolan weakly laughed, “See, heroic.”  After a few moments his face contorted with pain, “Um, it’s hurting a lot more now.”

The chimera shrugged before he looked back towards the desert as gun shots rang and he heard a scream of pain from Liam.  Theo growled before he looked back to Nolan and emotionlessly responded, “You’re probably bleeding into your intestines.  My guess, you only have a few hours before you succumb.”

Brett glared at his alpha and growled as the color fled from the injured teen’s face, “Theo, you don’t say that to an injured person.”

Theo smirked at his beta, “You can smell it too.  I’m just being honest.”

Nolan looked to Theo and pleaded, “S-s-so we can get m-m-me to the hospital?”

Theo slowly shook his head, “We wouldn’t make it in time.  The closest hospital is at least a 4 plus hour drive and that’s assuming I can go thirty miles or more over the speed limit for quite a distance.”

Nolan’s eyes widened even more as he fought back throwing up, “What?  I don’t want to die.  What can we do?”

Brett angrily demanded, “Theo, do something!”

Theo yelled back at Brett, “Like what?”

Lori glared at her alpha and replied, “What about the bite?”

The chimera responded, “What about it?  I’m a chimera.”

Brett argued, “A chimera alpha.”

After a brief moment Theo responded, “Yeah.  I guess I could give it a try.”

The tall wolf smirked, “Did you forget about being an alpha?”

Theo rolled his eyes at the wolf, “Like you remember to duck every time you walk in a normal door.”

Theo knelt next to Nolan and made eye contact with the teen.  His greys pierced into the wounded teen’s blues, “Nolan.  You have two options here and I want you to give them some serious thought, okay?”

Nolan slowly nodded as he fought against another fresh wave of pain.  Before Theo spoke again, Liam and Kira walked back to the camp and Liam asked, “What’s going on?”

Lori answered the Little Wolf, “Nolan got shot.  If he doesn’t get to a hospital or accept the bite, he might not make it.”

Kira gasped before she ran over to Nolan.  Liam followed and looked to the human.  Theo continued, “If you want, we can try to make it to a hospital.  I can’t make any promises to making it in time.  We don’t know the extent of your injuries.”

Nolan swallowed difficultly before he asked, “A-a-and the o-o-other option?”

Theo’s eyes shifted gold and then darkened to alpha red as he continued, “I can give you the bite.  I’ve got the power of an alpha but I’m still a chimera, so we don’t know if it’ll work.  There’s also the chance that it works but your body rejects it and you still die.  The choice is yours though.”

Fear coursed through the teen as he looked to Liam, “Liam, what should I do?  I don’t want to become a wolf, but I don’t want to die.  I haven’t even graduated yet and I don’t have a will and my parents don’t even know I’m gone yet.”  He gently sobbed as he continued, “I-I-I don’t want to die.”

Kira and Lori watched the guys as tears began to gather in their eyes.  The stress and dread from the situation bled over.  Brett embraced the teen as Liam took a deep breath and stated, “Scott saved my life when he gave me the bite.  If he hadn’t, I would’ve died.  I think that’s the best choice.”

Before Nolan answered, Theo reiterated calmly, “Nolan, the choice is yours.  Both are risky, and I can’t guarantee anything.”

Nolan rolled his head to meet Brett’s gaze.  He saw the fear in the taller wolf’s eyes and smiled through the pain as he whispered, “Are you happy?  I mean as a wolf?”

Brett slowly nodded and tried to mimic the teen’s smile. 

Nolan looked back to Theo and calmly stated, “Okay Theo, let’s try the bite.”

Theo nodded slowly as he leaned forward and took Nolan’s arm.  He rolled up the teen’s sleeve and brought Nolan’s forearm to his mouth.  He channeled his power as an alpha and bite into the teen’s arm.  Blood flowed from the wound and as soon as Theo released, Nolan screamed in pain.  After several moments of screaming, the teen passed out.

 

Stiles paced around the freshly unrolled and wrapped police tape near the park on the town side of the preserve.  The agent ran his fingers through his hair as the ran began to gently pelt off his head and coat.  Derek leaned against a nearby tree while Parrish stared at the pile of bones.  Stiles glanced to the “body” and fought back gagging before he said, “This is the threat that Theo was going to deal with?”

Parrish nodded once as he continued to stare, “Theo said he had an idea.  A few days before the pack returned, he said he had a plan and all I needed to do was convince the Sheriff to keep people away from the forest.”

Derek huffed and responded, “Most of Beacon Hills is a forest.”

Stiles glared at Derek, “Not helping, Sourwolf.  Do you smell anything or anyone?”

Derek shook his head, “Only the bones and normal smells for the forest.”

Parrish looked to the elder wolf and side-handedly commented, “Those bones are Deputy Winters.”  The hellhound took a deep breath before he stated, “He didn’t even unholster his sidearm.  Something isn’t right.”

Stiles commented, “Like he was ambushed?  Surprised?  Whatever did it must’ve got the drop on him and knocked him out or killed him before he had the chance to do anything.”

Derek stepped over to the bones and knelt beside them.  He looked at the edges and commented, “Something ate him.  Even the cartilage has been eaten.”

Stiles’ eyes widened as he gasped, “Ate?  As in dinner for one?  As in Deputy Winters was an all you can eat buffet for some nasty supernatural thing that doesn’t have any respect or regard for him being a fine, upstanding, officer of the law.”

Derek shot a look back to Stiles as Parrish spoke, “I can’t reach Theo either.”

Stiles quickly recovered and responded, “We don’t need Theo.  If he can figure it out, so can I.”

Parrish looked to the agent, “You’re kidding right?  This makes body number seven and the occurrences have increased.  I just don’t know why he thought the goblins were a bigger threat.”

Stiles snidely commented, “It’s Theo, he doesn’t make sense.”

The deputy glared at the agent while Derek stood up and looked to Stiles, “I think we should talk to Scott.”

Stiles tilted his head in slight confusion, “About what?  It’s another body and Lydia’s scream told us that it existed.  It’s not like we are any closer to figuring out what this is.”

Derek narrowed his eyes and waited for the verbal diarrhea to end before he responded, “Because the wolves are gone.”

Stiles began to comment, “So the territorial threat-“

Parrish finished the statement, “Is gone because they are hunting Theo, thinking he is Scott.  The large gathering of hunters are gone as well.”

Stiles looked to Parrish, “And by large you mean like five or six, right?  Like an amount that Theo, Liam, Kira, Brett, and Lori can handle right?  And the other pack isn’t that large right?  Like they’ll be alright, I mean I’m alright if Theo gets roughed up, but the rest will be okay, right?”

Derek commented, “Fifteen.”

Stiles’ eyes widened again, “There are fifteen hunters?!?!”

Derek shook his head and emotionlessly responded, “Wolves.”

Parrish nodded and stated, “There are over thirty working with the hunters.”

Stiles took a deep breath and exhaled audibly before he asked, “Okay, if all of these people wanted Theo acting as Scott dead, what stopped them from just charging into Beacon Hills?  I mean it was just him and a few others.”

Derek raised an eyebrow as he effortlessly responded, “Each other.”

Parrish nodded again, “Both groups stayed on the outskirts of town.  They clearly watched each other’s moves and since Theo hadn’t left, they figured the true alpha hunkered down for a war.”

Stiles slowly finished the thought, the strength of his voice weakened as he spoke, “And when he left, they began a race to see who kills him first.”

Derek nodded, “Yeah.”

Stiles met Derek’s eye contact and full of nervous energy ordered, “We need to talk to Scott now.”

 

Theo sat on the dusty, drab bed in his motel room.  His fresh t shirt and shorts weakly clung to his still moist from the shower skin.  He stared at the grey mottled carpet for a moment before he looked to Liam, who paced in front of him in the tiny area between the queen-sized bed and the worn dresser with an old box TV on top.  He watched the wolf make two rotations before he asked, “Liam, what is it?”

Liam stopped and met the chimera’s eye contact, “Do you think Nolan will be alright?”

Theo shrugged, “His wound closed, and he did regain consciousness briefly during the drive.  I’m pretty sure he is going to be alright, physically.”

Liam nodded slowly before he nervously spoke, “But he’s one of us now.”

The chimera sighed and slumped his shoulders slightly, “I think you should take him and Kira back to Beacon Hills.  It would be safer.”

The wolf’s anger rose, “But he’s your beta now.  You can’t just abandon him.”

Theo quickly stood up and matched the anger, “I’m not abandoning him.  Scott can look after him.  I just don’t want a green beta having to face the dangers we are.  He almost died once already.”

Liam continued to argue, “And do you think Kira wants to leave you to the hunters?  Not a chance.  She came along to help you.”

Theo smugly smirked as he asked, “And you, Little Wolf?  Why did you make the trip?”

Liam’s anger cooled as he responded, “I was worried about you.  I want to help.”

The chimera shook his head and let his anger bleed over, “You’re lying, Liam.  I was wondering if you would try to say it again but since your alpha and your pack aren’t directly involved then I guess you won’t.  That’s bullshit.”

Liam yelled, “What are you talking about?!?!”

Theo turned away slightly before he brought his fist forward and struck Liam’s nose.  The beta stumbled backwards into the dresser and almost knocked the TV off as he gripped his bleeding nose and yelled, “What the hell?!?!  What was that for?”

Theo growled at the beta, “What you only had the guts to say when you thought you were going to lose me forever.”

Liam’s eyes widened as the realization his and he turned away from the chimera and stared out the window.  The thin curtains blocked next to nothing of the few lights that shown in the town, nor did they block out the stars that lit up the sky.  As his nose popped back into place and began to heal, the wolf stated, “You’re right, Theo.  I didn’t have the guts.  I should’ve before we left Beacon Hills, I should’ve when I came back to visit, I should’ve before I ever went to college.”

Theo sat down on the edge of the bed and combed his hand through his hair before he asked, his voice filled with resignation, “Why didn’t you?”

Liam stepped to the window and slid a hand between the curtain and opened it.  He stared at the stars, which cast his face in an almost ethereal glow, “It was all so much.  In such a short period of time I went from wanting to be with Hayden to wanting to spend every moment with you.  I kept thinking about everything, from when we first met, to how you almost had me kill Scott, to bringing you back, the ghost riders and the Anuk-ite.  And there was always Hayden in my mind.  I wonder if I really wanted to be with her.  And what does that make me?  Am I the one that hurt her instead of the other way around?  Am I the one that really wanted you released before, before I got to know you better?  Am I gay?  Am I Bi?  Am I just confused?  I don’t know Theo.”

The chimera read the mixed signals that flooded the room from the confused beta and stood up.  He stepped behind the wolf and wrapped his arms around the man’s torso and rested his chin on the wolf’s shoulder.  He gently whispered, “You’re Liam.  You’re Little Wolf.  Those are the only things that matter.”

Liam deeply sighed as he stated distantly, “The evening you kissed me and told me you loved me changed everything I thought I knew.  Part of me wanted to scream from the rooftops that Theo Raeken, The Theo Raeken, was in love with my goofy, angry self.  The other part just made me question everything.”

Theo attempted to sound sure as he asked, but the hint of desire stayed in his voice, “What about now?”

Liam turned in Theo’s grip and faced the chimera.  He leaned forward, almost to the point of their lips touching and said, “I love you, Theo.  I’ve loved you for longer than I’ve known.  Even though I was lost, and confused, and distant, you never stopped being the person I love.  You never stopped being my anchor.” 

The wolf leaned for and pressed his lips against the chimera’s.  It was a gentle and chaste kiss that conveyed an apology for every moment the chimera doubted himself for trying to love the wolf.  As Theo pushed into the kiss and pulled Liam tighter, a loud knock was heard at the door.  Before they responded, Kira yelled, “We’ve got a problem.”

Theo released Liam and darted for the door.  The wolf followed as the kitsune guided them to Nolan and Brett’s motel room.  When the door opened, both men’s eyes fell on Nolan.  The teen was pale and only clad in a pair of Brett’s green gym shorts, but his skin seemed to be covered with the lightest coating of fur.  His chest was broader and more filled out, but his freckles were larger and more circular.  His jawline was stronger and more defined, and his eyes looked noticeably larger with the telltale golden glow of an innocent changer.  His face seemed wider with another dusting of enlarged freckles across his cheeks.  His nose was larger with the underside darkened and moist.  His ears were extended like a wolf but gently cupped and rested away from his head rather than cling to it.  Lastly, his forehead was a bit larger with two noticeable protrusions that looked like nubs peeked through his wild shaggy hair.  He looked confused and scared as he met Theo’s gaze.

Theo’s eyes widened as Brett jumped from behind the confused changer, a large smile plastered across his face as his enthusiastically cheered, “Bambi is a Bambi.”


	5. Twisting My Arm, Alpha Hale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theo's pack helps Nolan; Liam and Theo bond over new challenges; Scott has a talk with Peter

Twisting My Arm, Alpha Hale

 

 

Nolan nibbled on his lower lip from anxiety as he looked to Theo.  His eyes darted back and forth as they travelled over the people in front of him.  His eyes finally stopped on Theo as his ears continued to twitch, “How is this possible?”

The teen watched as the chimera alpha tried to work through how this could happen.  He began to pick up on the scents of the room, of his new “pack” and he suddenly felt very uneasy.  The warm breath of the tall wolf caressed the side of his neck.  He took a few steps backwards and almost bumped into the bed as the urge to run filled his limbs.  He swallowed deeply before he chuffed loudly.

The nervous teen watched the chimera’s concentration shatter as Liam started laughing next to him and Lori and Kira stepped into the room.  Theo asked, with a mild bit of surprise in his tone, “Did you just chuff at me?”

Nolan took another step back and almost fell over the corner of the bed as Brett jumped behind him and caught him.  The wolf took a deep breath before his fingers gently rubbed the side of the deer’s torso.  Nolan’s eyes darted around once again as Brett commented, “Bambi, your fur is so soft.”

The deer’s head shifted to stare at Brett as his ears raised up.  Theo calmly spoke, “Calm down, Nolan.  It’s just us.  Your heart sounds like it is beating out of your chest.”

The teen swallowed difficultly as he looked to his alpha.  He blurted out, “I have the sudden urge to run.”

Liam smirked and held back most of a laugh, “I’m not surprised.  Brett invaded your personal space.”

Brett argued with the beta, “Shut up, Liam.  If he wants to run, it’s because you are here.”

Kira meekly commented, “Actually, both of you might be right.”

The group looked to Kira as she nervously laughed and continued, “If Nolan is feeling the connection to his deer, then right now he is surrounded by wolves.”

Nolan’s eyes widened almost impossibly further, “Oh.  That’s what those urges are.”

Theo nodded slowly as he motioned for everyone to give Nolan space.  As Brett attempted to step backwards, Nolan grabbed his hand without looking back.  Brett seemed confused as Nolan leaned back into the taller wolf’s chest, closed his eyes and inhaled.  Brett looked to Kira, “Care to explain this?”

Kira looked to the bed, where Nolan and Brett slept earlier and looked back to them, “I’d guess that you shared scents.  You smell like him and he feels it’s safe.”

Theo addressed Nolan, “Is that it?  Does Brett smell safe?”

Nolan opened his eyes and looked to Theo, “No.  Brett just smells good.  It’s like I can smell everything around and hear so much more.”  He looked to Lori, “You bottle of scented oil is leaking.”

The female born wolf tilted her head, “Nolan, I don’t know what you are talking about.  I’ve got that stuff but it’s in the car in boxes.”

Brett brought his hands up and began to massage the deer’s shoulders as Nolan confidently replied, “Go check the box.  It smells like vanilla and lavender.”

Theo asked, “You can make out that slight of a scent, that far away, even though there are so many?”

Nolan nodded slowly and replied, “Your truck is beginning to burn oil.”

Theo shook his head and the anxious changer asked again, “How is this possible?”

Liam replied when silence fell on the room, “Theo is a chimera alpha and not a werewolf so what if he doesn’t just make werewolves but something else.”

Theo looked to the little wolf, “So Nolan wouldn’t be a deer changer per se but a deer chimera?”

Liam pursed his lips in agreeance as he nodded, “That would be my guess.  I think we should talk to Deaton, but I don’t think we are that off.”

Theo argued, “But I’m a coyote and wolf chimera.  There isn’t anything deer there.”

Liam returned the argument, “You are a chimera.  You don’t exactly follow the rules for the supernatural.”

Theo proudly smirked as he relented, “I guess you’re right, Little Wolf.”

Nolan demanded, louder than he intended, “But how am I a deer?  Deer changers aren’t a thing.”

Lori chimed in with a warm smile, “Actually, there are stories of stag spirits watching over lands, villages, and families.”

Nolan rolled his eyes, “I’m not a spirit.”

Kira followed Lori’s lead, “Well yeah, but those stories wouldn’t sound like, “My cousin Bill is a deer changer and protects our family”.”

The deer weakly gasped, “Oh.”  He looked up to Brett, a bit of pride in his eyes, “Hear that, tall boy, I’m a stag!”  Brett laughed at Nolan’s comment before he replied, “I think you can graduate to stag after you finish being a fawn.”  The teen smirked at the taller wolf as he laughed.

The deer abruptly looked to Theo, “Shouldn’t I be a chimera though?”

Theo nodded, “Actually, you should.  Nolan, close you eyes and try to find your inner selves.”

Nolan took a deep breath and tried to feel the impulses.  In his mind, he could clearly make out his deer, with it already past the surface, he found it impossible to ignore.  As he tried to search farther he only replied, “I feel my deer but past that, I just feel tired and hungry.”

Theo shrugged and casually responded, “With everything that’s happened, I’m not surprised.  We can try again tomorrow.”

Brett looked to his alpha, “Are we leaving early?”

Theo shook his head, “No.  We’ve got to help Nolan gain at least some rudimentary control before we deal with Hunters or Wolves.”

Nolan bit his lip as he meekly asked, “So we can sleep in?”

Theo rolled his eyes while Liam and Brett laughed, “Yes, Nolan, we can sleep in.”

The deer bounced on his heels for a moment before he nervously looked to Theo, “But seriously though, I have the urge to run.  BAD!”  His voice deepened as he stretched out the last word.

Theo and Liam stepped out of the room, onto the balcony that connected the second-floor rooms.  Brett released his massaging grip from Nolan and sat on the bed.  Before Kira and Lori could move, Nolan darted out the door and jumped from the second story, landing softly and effortlessly in the parking lot.  He chuffed loudly before he ran into the darkness.

As Nolan ran, something caught Brett’s eyes and his wolf woke up.  A bit of saliva gathered around the corners of his mouth and he licked his lips anxiously.  Theo glanced back into the room and saw Brett nervously fidgeting.  Brett looked to his alpha as he nervously fought against his wolf, his eyes flashing on and off gold, “Th-Theo.  I kinda got to, well you know, chase him.”

Theo noticed the tall wolf’s knees bounced excitably and he could smell the chemo signals not only of desire but of the wolf’s need to compete.  The chimera asked, “What suddenly brought this about, Brett?”

The tall wolf grinned as he licked his lips again, “H-he has a tail.  A large, flat, white tail.  I-I-I saw it.  And, the smell-“  

Theo sighed and replied before Brett could continue, “Fine.  But make sure he’s alright.”

Brett smiled widely before he darted out of the room after the deer.  Theo laughed as the tall wolf hit the pavement and charged after the young deer.  He casually stated, “Those two.”  Kira and Lori laughed as Theo glanced at Liam and saw the same jitteriness, “Don’t tell me.”

Liam weakly muttered, “I kind of want to chase him too.”

Theo smirked, “Not a chance Little Wolf.  I don’t want you and Brett fighting over Nolan.  Plus, we need to get our rest since Nolan is going to need a lot of help with his training.”

Liam sighed and walked back to their room.  Theo looked to the girls and said, “Thanks, for helping Nolan come to terms with this.”

Kira beamed a smile, “It’s nothing.  We should find that leaking bottle and head to bed ourselves.”

Theo nodded and followed Liam back to their room.

Kira and Lori walked out of Brett and Nolan’s room and closed the door behind themselves.  They walked along the balcony to the stairs and Kira said, “I wonder if Brett wanted to chase Nolan so bad because his wolf sees him as prey.”

Lori glanced back at the kitsune and half smiled, “I don’t think so.  That’s why Liam wanted to chase him, but I think my brother is following, _different_ , motivations.”

Kira innocently asked, “Different motivations?”

They walked to the car and opened the trunk latch as Lori explained, “I don’t think the boys realize this but those two might be mates.”

Kira shook her head as she helped pull a few boxes free, “Mates?  Is that a big deal?”

Lori lightly giggled, “In our world, it’s huge.  Wolves mate for life.  You’re really lucky if you find yours.”

Kira’s eyes widened, “Oh!”  After they found the box with the scented oils and confirmed what the deer said, she asked, “How do you know?”

The wolf met the kitsune’s eyes and answered, “Did you see the effect he had on my brother?  If I didn’t suspect it, I would’ve figured that Brett was high out of his mind.”

Kira tightened the top of the oil jar and asked, “How could you tell?  I mean he seemed happy and bubbly but that’s it.”

Lori shook her head, “No, Brett usually isn’t happy and bubbly.  He also doesn’t do the entire chivalry thing with guys.  Then his need to touch Nolan and bask in his scent.  I don’t think Theo or Liam noticed either.”

Kira softly laughed, “So what does this mean?”

Lori shook her head as they reloaded the car, “It means we are under no circumstances sharing a room with those two.  And, we aren’t getting a room next to theirs.  The last thing I want to hear is my brother hooking up in the middle of the night.” 

 

When the chimera stepped into the room, Liam almost immediately turned around and said, “You’re handling this better than I would.”

Theo nervously smiled as he responded, “I’m not doing as well as you’d think, Little Wolf.”

Liam raised an eyebrow as he walked over to the bed and sat down, “What do you mean?”

Theo followed the wolf and sat next to him, “My beta is a deer.  We don’t know what his trigger for change is yet since his heart rate dropped significantly during our conversation and he still didn’t shift back.  How is he going to defend himself?  And I think we can spare a couple of days here but what if that isn’t enough?”

Liam slid behind the chimera and hooked the bottom of his t shirt and slid it off.  He smiled as he responded, “Theo, we’ll find a way.  Nolan is going to be fine.”

Theo glanced back as Liam began to massage his shoulders which pulled a deep groan of pleasure from the chimera.  Liam lightly commented, “You’re so tight.  Have you shared any of your stress with anyone else?”

Theo laughed once, a sound that mimicked the impact of his smirk, “Like who?  Brett and Lori are still recovering.  I can’t place this kind of stress on them.  As their alpha, it’s my job to lead and protect them.  Just like it is now for Nolan.”

Liam gently retorted, “But they are your pack.  Their role is to support you.”  He kneaded into the chimera’s flesh which pulled a few more moans from the alpha.

Theo mused, “How does Scott do it?  With Brett and Lori, it was easy.  They already know how to be wolves.  They can teach me things but with Nolan, he doesn’t really know anything and on top of that, I don’t know if I will be able to teach him.  He’s a deer!  I can feel the bond beginning to form and it’s scary.”

Liam curiously asked, “What makes it scary?”

Theo released another emotionless laugh, “For one I can feel his presence, I can sense his emotions.”

Liam smiled as he continued, “That doesn’t sound too bad.”

Theo shook his head, “I can feel how he’ll be able to sense mine.  I stood in that room, straight faced, and lied to everyone and no one caught it.  I put on a face that everything is great when, in reality, Little Wolf, for the first time since becoming an alpha, I’m scared.”

Liam pulled his hands from the chimera’s shoulders and leaned forward so he could meet the man’s gaze, “Why are you scared, Theo?”

Theo apprehensively responded, “Little Wolf, I finally have so many good things in my life that I am afraid to lose any.  And I know that what I set into motion in Beacon Hills, threatens to take it all away.”

Liam wrapped his arms around the chimera and muttered, “Welcome back to being human, Theo.  That’s how all of us feel.”

Theo returned the embrace and whispered, “Thank you, Liam.”

 

A couple of hours after the two men went to sleep, a loud knock was heard at their door.  Theo groaned as he pulled himself out of bed.  Only clad in his pink plaid boxers, he walked to the door and opened it.  Brett stood there, a large smile plastered across his face, shirtless, covered in sweat as he said, “We’re back.  I didn’t want you to worry.  And, Nolan, he’s a slippery little fucker.”

Theo released a sound mixed between a happy sleep deprived groan and a laugh as Brett glanced over towards his room.  Theo caught the movements as Nolan stood in front of their door, his backside towards Brett and flapped his white tail at them.  Brett grinned and said, “Don’t worry, Theo, I’m going to catch him this time.”

Theo shook his head and closed the door as Brett chased after the deer.  Liam groaned, “What was that about?”

Theo smirked as he slowly walked back to the bed, “My betas are back, and Nolan is definitely more comfortable in his deer hide now.”

Liam lifted the covers and Theo crawled back into bed with his wolf.

 

 

The light shined through the part in the curtains and illuminated Scott and Malia as they slept in Scott’s old room in the McCall house.  The alpha groaned slightly as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes and looked over at his wife.  He wearily smiled and croaked out, “Good morning.  We get our new place today.”

The were coyote rolled over in the bed and muttered, “five more minutes.”

Scott laughed lightly and pulled himself out of bed.  He dragged himself to the dresser and pulled out a pair of grey sweat pants and slid them on.  As he walked out of his room towards the stairs, he heard a calm heartbeat downstairs.  He descended the wooden stairs, with the third creaking as it always did, and called out, “Mom, I didn’t know you were home.”  

He didn’t hear a response but smelled the coffee as it brewed in the kitchen.  As he rounded the stairs and made his way through the living room he called out again, “Mom?”

His eyes widened as Peter stepped into the opening between the kitchen and the living room.  The elder wolf, dressed in his usual dark blue v neck shirt and black pants, wore his smug, plotting smile as addressed the alpha, “Good Morning Scott.  I’m not mommy dearest but I had to speak with you.  I hope you don’t mind that I let myself in.”

Scott narrowed his eyes and clear his throat before he asked, “What do you want Peter?”

The elder wolf mocked a pout as he said, “Come on, Scott, is that any way to talk to your father-in-law?”

Peter laughed as Scott lowly growled at the joke and continued, “What I was going to say was today is a great day to be a Hale.  Wouldn’t you agree?”

Scott tilted his head slightly in confusion and replied, “I don’t know what you are talking about, Peter.”

Peter grinned as he took a sip from a cup of coffee he grabbed off the counter.  He continued, “With my pit bull handling the problems of Beacon Hills and the renovations of the old Hale house, not to mention the growing size of the Hale pack foot print.  Then there are the stable and growing connections within the community to further cement the prominence of the family.”

Scott shook his head, “There isn’t a Hale pack.”

Peter smiled viciously before he slammed his cup of coffee on the countertop.  His voice seethed as he replied, “Exactly.  You come back to Beacon Hills, after marrying my daughter and pulling my nephew into your pack, disregard the Hale name even though I gave you the bite and on top of everything, you run off my pit bull, so my workers refuse to continue their work on the house.  So, you can see why I might be a bit angry, Scott.”  Peter said the alpha’s name with disdain.

Scott asked weakly, “Your pit bull?”

Peter pinched the bridge of his nose as he groaned before he replied, “Raeken.”  He shook his head before he demanded, “Do you even know what is killing people here?”

Scott shook his head in resignation, “No.”

The elder wolf’s tongue clicked in his mouth before he continued, “So what are you going to do?”

Scott rubbed the back of his head before he answered, “Meet with the pack and work to cement our pack here and reach out for help with whatever is killing people.”

Peter sighed and spoke with airy condescension, “Scott, Scott, Scott.  Always the optimist, always the idealist.  How about I offer you a deal?  Stake your claim as the alpha of the Hale pack” Scott’s eyes narrowed on the elder wolf as he continued, “Embrace the Hale family, since you are a Hale now, and I can help solidify your presence.  Then I can use some of my resources to help you deal with this new threat.”  The elder wolf slapped on his most deceitful smile as he said, “What do you say Scott?”

Scott watched the wolf’s reactions and asked, “Why would you want that?  What’s in it for you?”

Peter stepped towards the alpha and met his gaze with rage that burned below the surface, as he whispered, “You have the gall to marry my daughter without speaking to me and then want to know MY intentions?  Take the deal before I decide the family home isn’t worth it.”

Scott looked away from Peter and relented, “Alright.  We’re the Hale pack now.  I don’t see why the name matters.”

Peter’s anger vanished almost immediately, and he slapped the alpha on the back as he looked to face the kitchen and the window, “Glad we’ve got that handled.  Now I can tell you that the remnants of the confederation of packs left behind when Deucalion decided to form his special squad formed a pack.  But they aren’t a threat, at least not to us anymore, since they are pursuing the pit bull.  Clever strategy for him to masquerade as you.”

Scott glanced to the elder wolf’s arm before he looked to him, “I already knew about those chasing after Theo.”

Peter shrugged as he mused, “Then you probably know about the hunters.  But what’s more important is they have scouts watching Beacon Hills to make sure it’s harder for anyone to sneak in or out.  It works though, since you need to stay here and rebuild, and they are hunting down the “True Alpha”.”

Scott argued, “But Liam and Kira went after him.”

The elder wolf shrugged again, “Can’t help you there Scott.  It was enough just to sneak Alec back.  Consider it a wedding gift.”

Scott’s eyes widened, “Alec’s back?”

Peter nodded, “Yeah, he’s at Derek’s loft.  You’re welcome.  And your other “dad” is tracking the hunters.  So, if we play our cards right, we’ll be able to help the pit bull and his pack while he helps us.  Sounds like a win-win.”  Peter took a moment to laugh before he mused, “Never thought the alpha of a Hale pack would call an Argent Dad.  Times change.”

Scott smiled and nodded, “Alright.  Sounds like we have at least an idea of a plan.  I think we might need to have another meeting, with everyone present.”

Peter light-heartedly rolled his eyes, “Now you are just twisting my arm, Alpha Hale.”


	6. Isn't a Special Talent, Brett

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theo's pack helps Nolan learn to control his shift. Malia learns something important from Lydia and Alec

Isn’t a Special Talent, Brett

 

 

Theo slowly pulled himself out of the creaky, lumpy motel bed as the Little Wolf continued to make small whistling noises as he gently snored.  He glanced to the large, red digital clock on the nightstand as it read 10:14 AM.  He gently twisted his neck, creating two audible pops and stretched his upper back releasing a few more.  He stood up slowly and listened for the other heartbeats.  He heard his packs slumbering heart rates and caught a feeling of Nolan’s relaxed emotional state.  After releasing a long yawn, the chimera walked over to his bag and grabbed some clothes, a thin dark hoodie and black skinny jeans, and set out another outfit for Liam. 

He changed into his clothes after finishing his morning shower and clean up and looked back to the bed where the wolf still slept.  He debated waking him up but left the room to grab breakfast instead.  As he walked out of the room, he saw Lori and Kira stepping out of their room and called to them, “Hey, want to grab breakfast before we wake up the guys?”

Kira nodded, and Lori grinned as she said, “If you plan on waking up Brett after the late night he had, you’ll need something heavy duty.”

Theo laughed as he caught up to the girls and they walked towards Liam’s car.  The chimera pulled out the wolf’s keys and opened the door as the girls looked to him.  Kira asked, “We are taking Liam’s car?”

Theo nodded, “The only vehicle that isn’t full of boxes.”

The kitsune smiled as she opened the door and sat in the backseat, “That works.”

Lori asked as she sat in the passenger seat up front, “So where are we eating?”

Theo messed with the internal car GPS and pulled up one restaurant in thirty miles, “I guess Mom and Pops is the only option if we don’t want to drive outside of town.”

Theo drove them just over a mile to the destination which wasn’t far from the downtown section of Eureka.  The town seemed empty up until they passed the Post Office near the restaurant and even then, there were only a few cars and people on the sidewalks.  The chimera realized that Beacon Hills seemed quiet, but this town really was quiet.  He parked the white sedan in front of the worn, single story wooden building. 

The prominent but faded wooden sign hung about the main, double door entrance.  The windows appeared to be stained white around the edges and the exterior walls were sun bleached.  He stepped out of the car and looked to the girls as he caught the smells of breakfast foods being cooked.  His mouth salivated as he said, “I think we found the right place.”

The three stepped inside the building and were guided to their seats by a grandmotherly woman wearing a faded blue dress with a food stained apron.  She warmly smiled at the three as she handed them the laminated one-page paper menus.  She said, “You must be the tourists that came in last night.  We don’t get many visitors these days.”

Theo looked to the woman after he noticed the theme of faded wild west for the restaurant.  He grinned, “That was us.  It sure is quiet here.”

She nodded as she proudly stated, “In every way but the gossip on the corner.  Everyone in town was talking about your friends this morning.”

Kira furrowed her brows as she asked, “Friends?”

The woman pulled out her pad and pen from the front pocket of the apron and replied, “The two boys running shirtless in the desert last night.  They were clearly enjoying themselves, but I am not one to judge what kids do these days.”

Lori’s eyes widened as she asked, “Everyone knows about that?  Already?”

The woman nodded her head, “Nothing happens in this town without everyone knowing in a couple of hours at the most.  It’s a small town.  Do you kids know what you want?”

Theo glanced at the menu before he read the woman’s name from the sewn patch on her apron and stated, “Can I order the breakfast special, eggs over easy, with an orange juice and can I order three more to go, Gladys?”

Gladys smiled as she wrote the order on the pad, “The other boys are sleeping in, aren’t they?”

Theo nodded as his grin widened, “They sure are, Gladys.”

Gladys looked to Kira and Lori, “What’ll it be ladies?”

Kira smiled, “I’ll have two eggs scrambled with the fruit bowl.”

Gladys began to write as Lori elbowed Kira, “You stole what I was going to get.”  She addressed Gladys, “Make it two with orange juice as well.”

Gladys smiled and took the menus as she said, “Coming right up.”  She walked away from the table and Theo looked to the girls, “Well, the town knows we are here.”

Kira tilted her head slightly, “Is that bad?”

Theo shrugged, “Maybe.  If any hunters come through town, it won’t take them long to find us.”

Lori countered, “But we drove quite a distance away.  It’s not like we didn’t throw them off as we made our way here.”

Kira smiled, “It’ll be alright.  We know that they are looking for us.”

Theo nodded slowly, “You’re right.  Let’s just focus on bringing Nolan up to speed and we can worry about the hunters when we have to.”

It wasn’t long before the food arrived and the three ate their breakfasts.  Gladys came around with their to go orders just before they finished their breakfasts.  Theo paid for the meals and it wasn’t long before they were back at the hotel.

Theo carried the plates up the stairs with the girls following behind him.  Kira asked, “I wonder what Gladys meant by them enjoying themselves and she wasn’t one to judge.”

Theo casually responded, “At best, they were running around like idiots, at worst, well…”

Lori laughed and continued, “If I know my brother, he wanted the worst but settled for the best.”

Theo nodded and laughed before he stated, “I’m going to take the guys their breakfasts.  We should be ready to start training Nolan in about an hour or so.”

Both women nodded as they returned to their room and Theo walked back to his.  He opened the door and Liam was sprawled out on the bed, snoring loudly.  Theo glanced to the clock, which read 12:01 PM, and said, “Wake up Liam, it’s after noon.”

Little Wolf groaned as he sat up and scratched his stomach, his hair a complete shaggy mess, as he croaked, “You brought breakfast?”

Theo nodded and set a plate on the dresser, “A breakfast sandwich and OJ.  Now get up because we are going to start training in about an hour.”

Liam huffed as Theo grabbed a small leather pouch from his bag.  The wolf asked, “What’s that?”  Theo grinned as he responded, “My way of getting into their room since I am not going to knock until they decide to answer.”

Theo walked out of the room to Nolan and Brett’s room.  He pulled out the small pouch and retrieved a couple of picks from it.  It took him less than a minute to unlock the door with the picks and step into their room.  When he looked to the bed he saw Nolan, wearing only a pair of Brett’s Devenford Prep plaid boxers curled up with Brett, wearing a pair of black boxer jocks, curled around him.  Brett’s eyes slowly opened, and he mouthed the words to his alpha, “I told you I’d catch him.”  Theo maliciously grinned as he loudly barked, “Good Afternoon.  Are we going to sleep the _entire_ day away?”

Nolan’s eyes bolted open as he attempted to flail his limbs to get up.  Brett smiled as the deer twisted and contorted his body violently twice before bouncing himself off the bed and hitting the floor with a dull thud.  Theo fought back the smile as Nolan got to his feet already deered out.  His antlers were noticeably longer and the gentle fur on his chest had a very pronounced white patch that stretched across the center of his chest and ran down his pleasure trail. 

Brett chuckled as he commented, “Graceful Bambi.”

Nolan glared at the tall wolf, “Fuck you, I just woke up.”

Theo’s eyes widened as a realization hit and Nolan spat, “Thanks a lot Theo.  I was having a great dream.”

Theo grinned as he replied, “I know what your trigger is.  Nolan, your transformation trigger is fear.”

Nolan smirked, “But, I’m not afraid right now.”

Theo argued, “Then focus on being human again.”

Nolan rolled his eyes and thought about it only for his body to shift back human.  He blinked a few times, “Holy fuck, that worked.”

Theo smiled and set the breakfast plates on their dresser before he said, “Here’s something to eat.  Also, I heard from the waitress that a couple of boys were clearly enjoying themselves last night.  Is there anything I should know?”

Nolan smirked while Brett’s face blushed.  The nervous teen responded, “I ran and chuffed a lot and Brett didn’t catch me.  That’s it.”

Theo grinned at Nolan’s candid answer, “We’ll head out to the desert to train some in about an hour.”

Brett nodded and droned, “Yes sir, Alpha sir.”

Theo rolled his eyes as he stepped out of their room.

 

The pack stopped over a mile away from the small town, at the bottom of a small desert valley.  Theo stepped out of the truck and peeled off his thin hoodie and replaced his sunglasses as he looked back to the other two cars.  Nolan slunk out of Liam’s car, wearing a set of Brett’s training clothes, which loosely hung on him.  As soon as Liam and Brett stepped out of their respective cars, they started to argue.  Lori and Kira looked to the two.

Liam yelled, “You two could’ve been caught last night.  What were you thinking?”

Brett countered, “Like you were the paragon of control back home.  We’ll handle it!”

Liam growled, “We don’t have anyone to look after us here.  We can’t risk it.”

Theo growled at the two, “Enough!  You two spar, I’ll take Nolan.”

Liam shed his shirt and tossed it aside before he scratched his stomach and looked to the equally shirtless Brett.  Nolan drug his feet towards Theo as he shifted his sunglasses.  He whined, “Why do we have to be out here?  It’s hot and I am in control.”

When Nolan nearly reached the chimera, Theo jumped towards him and before the deer could react, he was already deered out.

As the deer recovered, Theo stated, “This is why.  You’ve got to learn to control the shift.”  The chimera demanded, “Change back.”

The stag sighed and shifted back.  He shed his shirt and asked, “So what do you want me to do?”

Theo took a step towards the deer and once again he shifted.  He raised an eyebrow as Liam and Brett slashed and dodged each other’s attacks, “Why did you shift?  I didn’t do anything.”

Nolan muttered, “My deer didn’t like you stepping towards me.”

Theo looked back at Brett and yelled, “Lurch, get over here.”

Brett barely dodged Liam’s attempt to tackle him as he responded, “Be right over.”

The chimera glanced back to Nolan as he took a step back, “Shift back.”

The deer shifted back, and Brett walked over to them.  Theo motioned towards Nolan and Brett walked over to the nervous teen and put an arm around him.  Nolan bit his lip anxiously, “What’s this about?”

Theo smiled as he nodded, “Your deer recognizes him as pack or at least as safe.”

Theo walked up to Nolan and placed his hand on his shoulder and the teen just looked at him with confusion, “This is kind of weird, Theo.” 

The chimera looked to Brett, “Go back and spar with Little Wolf.  He’s getting bored.”

Brett shook his head and walked away.  He made it a few steps away from Nolan before the teen deered out again.  Theo nodded and said, “Your deer doesn’t recognize me.  I’ve got an idea.”

The chimera mischievously grinned as he pulled the deer close to him, and their chests touched.  He looked into Nolan’s golden eyes before he leaned into the crook of his neck.  Nolan’s skin flushed almost immediately as he mumbled, “W-w-what are y-y-you doing Th-th-theo?”

Theo grinned as he rubbed his neck against Nolan and seductively spoke, “Come on, _Bambi_ , don’t you enjoy the scent and feel.”

Liam and Brett missed dodging each other’s attacks and crashed into one another before they growled towards Theo and Nolan.  Lori and Kira laughed at the two prone wolves as Nolan nibbled his lip and muttered, “I mean- Well, you see- This feels good and, and, and, y-y-you smell good.”

Theo slowly pulled back and saw that Nolan had shifted back human.  The grin grew as he stated, “Does your stag feel threatened anymore?”

Nolan shook his head slowly, his eyes fixed on his alphas as he breathed the word, “No.”

Brett and Liam scurried to their feet and ran towards the two as Theo smugly grinned and said, “Feeling something else?”

Nolan licked his lips as he slowly nodded.  Theo nodded slowly and whispered, “Seems like you weren’t caught last night.”

Brett growled at his alpha as Liam glared at him.  The tall wolf accused, “What are you doing Theo?”

Theo took a step back and looked to Brett, “Simple, I just scented him, and the rest of the pack- “

Nolan interrupted Theo, “Herd.”

The chimera shook his head and continued, “The rest of the “herd” will need to do the same.  I just did it in a way his deer wouldn’t expect and shy away from.”

Brett lowly grumbled, “But he’s- “

Theo smirked, “Giving a nineteen-year-old boy a chub isn’t a special talent, Brett.  I just needed to make sure his guard was down.  Mission accomplished.”

Theo stepped towards Liam and remarked, “You should’ve dodged that hit.  Come on, Little Wolf, you can do better.”

Liam’s eyes widened as he proclaimed, “What?!?!  But you were- “

Theo smirked, “But nothing, Little Wolf.”

Theo motioned for Lori and Kira and the girls walked towards them.  Lori stepped up to Nolan and shifted as she got close.  He chuffed once as she leaned in but as soon as she scented him, his heartrate lowered.  Kira followed, and she managed to scent him without much reaction.  Theo looked to Liam and the Little Wolf stated, “I don’t see why I have to do this.”

Theo rolled his eyes, “Because we can’t have Nolan shift because his deer doesn’t recognize his pa-herd.”

The wolf argued, “But I’m not a part of his pack.”

Theo retorted, “As long as you are with us you are.”

Liam sighed and walked towards Nolan.  He grumbled, “I don’t see why I have to do this.”

Nolan’s deer nose twitched as his ears flicked, “It’s not paradise for me either.”

The wolf made a face of distaste which caused the deer to chuff.  Liam leaned forward, “Let’s get this over with.”

Nolan reeled back and chuffed again, and Liam growled, “Stop doing that.”

Nolan slammed his forehead forward against Liam’s forehead with a satisfying crack.  The wolf fell backwards and hit the ground unconscious.  Theo shook his head as he looked to Nolan, “You’re going to have to control your deer better than that.”

Nolan whined, “What?  He antagonized me!”

Theo shook his head as Liam regained consciousness and mumbled, “What happened?”

The chimera looked to the prone wolf, “You pissed off his deer.  Could you try not to piss him off this time?”

Liam grumbled as he got to his feet, “I get headbutted and I’m the bad guy.”

Liam finished scenting Nolan and the pack split up and went back to training.  Brett, Lori, Kira, and Liam sparred while Theo worked with Nolan on shifting.  Over an hour after nightfall, they finished training and Nolan was able to control his shifts without accidentally shifting.

 

The door to an empty, open, large apartment opened and Malia, Lydia and Alec stepped inside.  The were coyote’s boots clicked on the hardwood floors as she walked into the large, open floor plan opening.  The cold steel and granite style kitchen was to their immediate left, but the door opened into the living/dining room area.  Directly in front of the entrance but at the end of the opening stood a small set of stairs that led to a door. 

Malia walked towards the door and opened it which revealed a set of stairs that led up to the rooms above the entertaining areas and kitchen.  She smiled as she looked back to the banshee, who was admiring the view of the town from the large, open windows which lined the walls.  She remarked, “What do you think?”

Lydia looked around after briefly stopping in the kitchen, as Alec stood near the entrance and stared at his cell.  She answered, “It’s beautiful.  Who picked it out?”

Malia shrugged, “Melissa found it and Peter insisted that we get it.  I wanted a house.”

Lydia smiled at the response, “This place definitely has the Peter feel to it.  The bedroom is upstairs.”

Malia nodded, “Bedrooms, the master and an additional.  Both have bathrooms and there is one just past the kitchen here.”

Alec remarked emotionlessly, “Why would you need two?”

Lydia glared at the young wolf before she looked to the coyote, “When do you plan on answering the question?”

Malia grunted as she walked over to the banshee, “What do you mean?  We have a guest room.”

The banshee lightly laughed as Alec glanced to the women and said, “I don’t get it.  Also, why did Peter bring me back here?  I’m going to miss the beginning of next semester.”

Malia looked at the disinterested teen, “Because you are transferring to Beacon Hills High.  It’s safer for you here.”

Alec smirked, “Safer how?  I was at a boarding school that protects supernatural beings.  My roommate Jeff was a druid in training.”

Malia shrugged and met the defiance with resistance, “I don’t know why Pet- ergh dad makes the decisions he does.  Just be glad he decided to pay for it.”

Alec rolled his eyes as he pocketed his phone and took a couple of steps inside, “Whatever.  This is a pretty cool apartment.”  He admired the solid brick structure of the exterior walls and the exposed steel beams of the ceiling.  He continued, “I hope he gets me a place like this.”

Malia raised an eyebrow and off-handedly said, “Marry his daughter and he might.”

Alec scoffed, and Lydia asked, “So when are you telling Scott?”

Malia looked annoyed as she looked to the banshee, “Scott already knows about the apartment.  He’s seen pictures, he just hasn’t been here yet.  The movers should have our things here by tomorrow.”

Lydia laughed innocently as she stepped over to the coyote, her heels clicking on the floor, “Stop dodging the statement.  It won’t be long until he can sniff it out anyway.”

Malia shook her head before she looked to Lydia, “I don’t know what you mean.”

Alec looked at both women and in a disinterested but direct tone he stated, “She means that you are pregnant.  You smell just like the girl from my biology class before she found out.”

Malia’s eyes widened as Lydia softly smiled and nodded.  She responded, “I am NOT pregnant.”

Alec rolled his eyes, “Sure.”  He dragged out the word in teenage sarcasm and he continued his sarcasm, “And I’m not with you two today because Derek wanted to try and spend time with Stiles.”

Malia flashed her eyes at the teen, “Have you always been this way?”

He flashed his gold as he remarked, “Only since joining this pack.”

Lydia shook her head and placed her hand on Malia’s shoulder, “So, you didn’t realize?”

Malia shrugged as she looked to Lydia, “No.  How do you know?”

Lydia searched for the answer with her eyes before she said, “You’ve got a certain, glow, to you.  That and I had a vision about it, nothing bad, just of you and Scott, in this apartment with a newborn.”

The coyote took a couple of steps towards the window and stared out, “This is a little sooner than I thought we would, but Scott will be happy.”  After a moment she added with uncertainty, “Right?”

Lydia smiled as she cheerfully stated, “Of course he will.  It’s a good thing you planned for a guest bedroom.”

Malia looked to Lydia with a smile on her face and a tear in her eye as Alec asked, “Are we done here?  I want to get to the mall to get some new clothes since I don’t have to wear a school uniform anymore.”

 

The next two days went well with training and Nolan was able to effectively shift and control his shift.  Theo sat on the bed wearing only a towel around his waist, his body still damp from the shower, while Liam pulled on his lounge clothes.  The sun set well over an hour prior and the wolf’s stomach growled as he said, “When are they getting back with dinner?”

Theo glanced to the wolf and commented, “It’s Nolan’s first time away from the pack, in public so have a little patience.  We don’t want him to accidentally shift.”

Liam rolled his eyes, “He has Brett with him.  Anytime he’s around him, he doesn’t accidentally shift.”

Theo quickly remarked, “Which probably means Brett is his anchor, the person he feels most safe with.”

Liam playfully mused as he scratched his stomach, “Huh, I just thought it was because Nolan wants to jump Brett’s bones.”

Theo watched Liam’s hand as he scratched his stomach, “Why do you keep doing that?”

Liam shrugged, “It itches.  I’m surprised it still does.  It’s where the hunter shot me when we met back up.”

Theo jumped to his feet and pressed his hand on the area.  He pushed in and felt something small but noticeably firm.  He remarked, “Did the bullet come out?”

Liam smirked, “How should I know?  I wasn’t paying attention.”

Theo growled and threw Liam onto the bed.  He sighed as he grabbed a pair of shorts and tossed the towel on the bed next to the wolf.  Liam began to argue as Theo pulled his shorts on, “What the hell?  What are you thinking?”

Theo pushed the wolf back on the bed as he shifted out his claws, “I think they shot you with a tracker.”

Liam’s eyes widened, “What?”

Theo gritted his teeth as he said, “This is going to hurt, Little Wolf.”

Liam couldn’t react before Theo plunged his claw into the wolf’s skin.  He barely suppressed a howl of pain as Theo tore out the tiny object.  The chimera grabbed the towel and held it to Liam’s stomach as he healed and wiped off the object.  He stared at an RFID chip with metal prongs that had clamped it to the wolf’s flesh.

Liam yelled, “What the hell, Theo?  You don’t just tear into someone.”

Theo showed Liam the chip and the wolf’s eyes widened at the realization.  They heard a knock at the door just before it opened.  Nolan stepped in with a smile on his face holding a plastic bag with two trays and a drink holder.  He glanced to both men and his smile faded as he anxiously said, “Food’s here?” 

Theo looked to Nolan, “Get the pack.  We need to leave now.”

As soon as the chimera finished speaking, Brett backed into the room with spotlights on the windows and the door.  He said, “I think we have a problem.”

Theo glanced out the window and saw a few cars abruptly stop and form a line on the outside road.  He heard a man over a megaphone, “Scott McCall! Your running ends tonight.”


	7. Shattered Pack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hunters attack Theo's pack and drive them from Eureka; Official New Hale pack meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was a bit surprised at the speed of the outpour and in the spirit of not leaving my readers hanging on a cliff, I am going to go ahead and post this new chapter. Thank you for the support and motivation to crank out this chapter. Kudos and Comments really do inspire. As always, Enjoy and I hope to entertain.

Shattered Pack

 

 

Theo’s blood ran cold as he assessed the situation.  He heard at least thirty separate heartbeats outside and smelled an obscene amount of munitions, including several batches of wolfsbane rounds.  He heard the movements of men to the backside of the motel and glanced out the door to see a group of six men surrounding their vehicles.  He heard the faint conversation between Kira and Lori about taking out the lights and going to the vehicles.  The chimera took a deep breath as he formulated his strategy.  As he opened his eyes, he saw Nolan, fully deered out with an impressive rack, at least 12 points, as he chuffed before he said, “I’m going to make a hole.”

Theo’s eyes widened, and he couldn’t even utter the no before the deer pushed past Brett and jumped from the second story into the parking lot.  Dread filled his stomach as he yelled, “Kill the lights!”  A surge of electrical energy was felt as every light on in the motel simultaneously blew and the spot lights, and vehicles still on, abrupted stopped.  Brett took the opportunity to chase his deer as Liam looked to Theo.  Liam’s eyes were wild as he asked, “What are they doing?”

Theo smirked as he moved to the door and watched Nolan plow through several of the hunters before they could raise their weapons, “My guess, trying to be the bait.”  Theo pocketed the RFID chip and grabbed his bag as he wolfed out and ran towards the door.  He savagely grinned to the wolf, “Come on Little Wolf, can’t let them handle everything!”

Theo charged out of the entrance as gun fire lit up the rooms.  He jumped down towards a hunter trying to flank Brett and Nolan as Lori and Kira descended the stairs on their side.  He heard his Little Wolf, howl as he followed the chimera.  Theo landed on the back of the hunter and drove the man’s face into the paved lot with the momentum of his jump.  Less than a moment later, Liam landed next to him.  Automatic weapons fire ricocheted off the pavement near them and separated them from reaching Brett and Nolan.  Theo pushed Liam behind his truck while Brett pulled Nolan to use the wagon as cover.

The chimera lobbed the keys to Liam’s car to Brett as he assessed how to get to his jeep.  Liam asked, “What are we doing?”

Theo yelled, “Follow me!”

The gunfire shifted towards Theo and pinged off his truck briefly before he heard Nolan chuff loudly followed by a man’s scream.  The chimera capitalized on the shift of fire and pushed Liam around his truck as he unlocked it.  He quickly opened the passenger side and jumped in with the wolf following close behind him.  As he started the truck, he saw Brett pull Nolan towards Liam’s car since the wagon looked to be almost completely riddled with holes.  Theo muttered, “Come on, follow me” as he roared the truck to life.  He slammed on the gas and struck one of the hunter’s trucks that attempted to block them in as he drove towards the town.  He heard the gunfire shift and Liam yelled, “We have to go back.”

Theo howled loudly, the howl of an alpha, and almost immediately saw headlights come on and hunters as they ran to pursue.  He felt the whizz of rounds as they pierced the cab and looked to Liam, “We’re the bait now.  Hopefully we pulled enough away.”

As he finished speaking, a round tore through the back of his seat and sprayed blood across his windshield as it blew out the front of the right side of his torso and into the dashboard.  The wolf reached over and took hold of the steering wheel as he shifted seats and pushed the chimera to the gap in the backseat of his truck.

Theo groaned, “They came…from the South…head North” before he lost consciousness.

 

The truck tore out of the parking lot and pulled the attention of the hunters away long enough for Brett to run to Liam’s car.  He unlocked the doors as he ran up, but something seemed off as he made it to the door.  Kira opened the driver’s side door with Lori behind her, opening the rear driver’s side door.  When he climbed into the passenger seat, he realized it.  He looked back and saw that Nolan had been shot in the leg and was thrown from the force against the motel wall.  The nervous teen yelled, “GO!  I’ve got them!”

He growled as he tried to jump out, but Lori’s hand quickly yanked him back inside before he could leave.  Kira started the car and attempted to follow the hole Theo made but another vehicle moved to block it.  Brett growled at his sister, “Let me go!  I have to help Nolan!”

She growled back, “He’s trying to draw them away.”

As Kira tried to dodge the gunfire and hunters, Brett saw that Nolan was up and running again.  As the hunters tried to stop the car, he was slammed into them and distracted them.  On her third attempt to escape the parking lot, Kira saw an opening, one created by the hunters that pursued the alpha’s howl and slammed the gas through it.

Brett howled for Nolan, which quickly fell to a whimper as they cleared the town.  Lori muttered a weak, “I’m sorry” as Kira continued to drive, not letting up on the gas.

 

As the taillights of the white sedan faded, the deer circled back towards the hotel to hopefully find some cover.  His legs burned, from exertion and gunshots as he made his way back around.  He counted four hunters approaching him as he nearly collapsed against the wall of the motel.  Blood dripped down his antlers and created lines of crimson across his pale face as the largest, most menacing remaining hunter addressed him, “I don’t know what you were trying to do, little deer, but it looks like I have a new wall mount.”

Nolan attempted to struggle to his feet but felt the deer leave him as he reverted back human.  The hunters gasped and another asked, “Are we sure he’s a wolf, if he’s really with them?  He seems more harmless.”

The anxious teen felt the well of anger grow in the pit of his stomach as another hunter said, “The pack left him and besides running around and tackling us, he did seem pretty useless.”

The word “useless” cut into the chimera as the rage churned in his stomach.  He watched them raise their weapons over their shoulders and laugh, through barely open eyes between his long blinks.  The menacing one looked to another and grinned as he said, “You’re right.  We should capture him just in case McCall gets away.  We can get the whole pack that way.”

Another laughed as he said, “Skin the entire pack.  Wolf pelts are better anyway.”

A low rumbling erupted within the teen which caused a different hunter to look back to him, “Guys, don’t you think it’s weird that he’s been shot at least four times by wolfsbane and is still conscious?”

The menacing one barked, “Shut up, Gary, the rounds probably went through him.”

The dull rumbling grew as the anxious teen stood up and faced the hunters.  Four gentle tinks were heard against the pavement as the metal rounds pushed out of his body.  He felt a strong protective force overwhelm him as his eyes blazed gold and he spoke with a darker, superimposed voice, “You should’ve listened to Gary.”

 

Liam drove for hours, abruptly shifting his route down back roads and trying to throw off the hunters.  He cleared the two state lines before he realized that no one was pursuing them anymore.  His chimera groaned in the back seat.  The wolf glanced back and saw that Theo was slowly waking up and hoped that it would be for good this time.  During the drive, the chimera had briefly regained consciousness and managed to text a couple of messages when his phone notifications went off, since he finally was in a service area again.

Theo reached forward and pulled himself into the passenger seat.  His face was stained with blood from where he bled out of his mouth as he looked to Liam, “Where are we?”

The wolf anxiously replied, “Wyoming.”

Theo slowly nodded as he looked to the rearview mirror and saw the roads were desolate, “The pack?”

Liam softly shook his head and whispered, “I don’t know.  They never caught up.”

Theo sighed as he looked to the floorboard and replied, “I have to hope they are alright.”

Liam glanced over and asked, “Can’t you feel their bonds?”

Theo looked to the wolf in surprise before he shifted his eyes gold and then deep red.  He reached out to his pack and felt everyone’s presence.  He breathed a sigh of relief, “They are alive.  Brett’s devastated, Lori’s sad, but Nolan, Nolan is apparently giddy.”

Liam blinked a couple of times before confusion filled his voice, “Giddy?  Nolan is Giddy?  What the hell?”

Theo shrugged, “Unless I’m reading it wrong, but I don’t think I am.  We can’t meet up with them yet.”

Liam asked, “Why not?  We need to regroup.”

The chimera reached into his pocket and pulled out the chip as he said, “Not before we send these hunters on a wild chase.”

Liam grinned as they pulled into a truck stop for fuel.

 

Initially Kira tried to drive south but managed to spot a line of cars set as a blockade.  She whipped the vehicle around and turned back north.  Brett begged for the kitsune to head back to the motel, but Kira only responded, “They’ve captured him by now Brett.  We’ll find him and rescue him.”

Brett argued, “We don’t know that!  We have to check!”

Lori rubbed the back of her brother’s neck as she whispered, “Brett, we need to get to safety before we can save him.  He’s strong, he’s the reason we escaped.  We’ll save him.”

Brett sighed and released a series of howls that devolved into pathetic whimpers before he eventually passed out.

Kira drove through the night and eventually made it to the Nevada and Utah border.  She pulled the car over to fuel up and looked to Lori, who stepped out to stretch her legs.  “Have you been able to reach Theo or Liam?”

Lori shook her head, “Nothing yet.  We should find a place to rest up before we figure out what to do next.”

Kira took a deep breath and spoke as her voice threatened to give from fear, “Do you think he made it?”

Lori looked away and muttered, “I didn’t feel the bond break, but I don’t know if it was strong enough yet.  I don’t see how he isn’t either captured, or more likely, dead.”

Tears built in the kitsune’s eyes as she mumbled, “I shouldn’t have left him.  We should’ve drove around another time and grabbed him.”

Lori defiantly looked to Kira, tears in her eyes, “He’s the reason we were able to escape.  Theo got most of the hunters to follow him, but Nolan broke their perimeter.  We couldn’t escape and save him.”

Kira sobbed with the wolf for a few moments before they left the service station and found a nearby motel.

 

Lori looked to her brother as he laid on the maroon comforter, curled around himself with his cell in hand, in the otherwise beige and bland room they were in.  It was after noon and she once again asked, “Brett, are we going to leave soon?”

The tall wolf shifted a little as he stared at pictures on his phone.  The wolf managed to capture a few during their training and otherwise goofing off that happened while they stayed in Eureka.  A few tears silently ran down his face as he stared at the smiling selfie of Nolan they took.  He whispered, “I don’t know.”

Kira stepped into the room holding a couple of plastic bags, filled to the brim, and said, “I got us some clothes.  I don’t think anyone wants to keep wearing these.”

She set one bag on the dresser while she took the other to the bathroom and changed.

Lori smiled to the kitsune before she looked to Brett, “Do you want to get cleaned up?”

Brett weakly shook his head and Lori spoke again, with a little more fury and determination, “You know we have to find and save him, right?”

Brett released a sigh, “I don’t feel the bond.”

Lori’s eyes widened as she whispered, “What?  Is he?”

Kira stepped out of the bathroom wearing a ridiculous tourist T shirt for the border and a tiny pair of cut off jean shorts.  She looked to Brett and Lori, “We’re going to go find him.  Let’s get changed and go.”

Lori weakly argued, “But the bond?”

Kira shrugged, “Maybe it’s not working right.  Do you think if something happened that Theo wouldn’t reach out?  We have to trust he’s alright.”

Lori lowered her head, “It’s not that simple.  We can’t just expect him to be delivered to our door.”

Kira’s eyes widened as she stared out the motel window while Lori spoke.  She pointed to the parking lot at one of the large, lifted trucks that the hunters used to attack them.  She whispered, “Oh my- they’re here.”

Lori turned around and gasped while Brett, seemingly out of it smiled and light-heartedly said, “He’s alive, I know it.”

Lori faced her brother, “Do you feel the bond?”

Brett jumped out of the bed and ran to the door as he smiled and replied, “Nope.  I just saw his Instagram feed.”

The tall wolf threw the door open and Nolan stood in front of him wearing a fresh set of Brett’s training clothes and a pair of ridiculously oversized sunglasses.  He smiled from ear to ear as he whimsically asked, “Didja miss me, Tall boy?”

Brett wrapped his arms around the anxious teen and lifted him off the ground as he pulled him into the room and smashed his lips in the teen’s.  Kira initially gasped but began to softly laugh with Lori as the two feverishly kissed one another.  After several moments, Nolan pulled free and gasped for air before he exclaimed, “So that’s what a first kiss is like.  A lot more tongue than I thought.  Oh, the hunter’s truck, is my truck now.”

Kira closed the door as silent, happy tears streaked her face and Lori asked, “How?  How did you get away?”

Brett pulled the teen down to the bed and rested him on his lap and wrapped his arms around him as he laid his head on the teen’s shoulder.  Nolan giggled before he said, “I don’t remember too much but when I came to, Gladys was there.”

Kira’s eyes widened in astonishment, “Mom, from Mom and Pop’s.”

Nolan nodded, “Yeah.  Apparently, the town heard the fire fight and Mom found me surround by a group of dead hunters.  She got a few people from town to help me load our things into this truck and I took the keys from “Gary”.”

Lori asked suspiciously, “But why?”

Nolan nibbled his lip before he answered, “Mom and Pop’s son was bit years ago and he was apparently one of the town’s secrets.  His pack had long since left but the town remembered the good they did there so-  they are pro, well us.”

Brett’s voice filled with concern, “But aren’t you still hurt?”

Nolan gently shook his head which pushed his long mop of hair into Brett’s face, “Nope.  All healed up.”

Brett blew the hair out of his face before Nolan commented, “Oh and stop messaging Liam.  I have his phone.  He left it in the room when we were attacked.  It’s how I found you.  Brett’s GPS ping.”

Kira smiled as Brett began to softly kiss the side of Nolan’s neck, “So, can we track Theo’s phone?”

Lori shrugged, “Maybe but I tried to call or message him and haven’t received a response.  It goes straight to voicemail so it’s either dead or he’s out of coverage.”

Nolan’s smile shifted to an uneasy smirk as he whined, “Then how are we going to find him?”

Brett grinned against the deer’s neck, “You.  You are his bitten beta, so we should be able to use your bond to find him.”

Nolan playfully rolled his eyes, “Great.  No pressure or anything.  Maybe Theo follows my Instagram.”

The pack laughed and enjoyed the moment of their reunion.

 

Scott waited at the vet’s clinic back for his pack and others to arrive.  He knew they had to take decisive action against whatever was killing people since three more people were killed just the night prior.  Internally he kicked himself for not smoothing things over with the chimera, but that time had passed.  He also thought of how he was going to explain to the pack his agreement with Peter and how the pack now acted in the Hale name.

Over the next twenty minutes, the members of the pack filed in and circled the table.  Derek and Stiles were the first one to walk in and Stiles took his place on Scott’s right while Derek stood at the far end of the table.  Lydia, Malia, and Alec followed, and Malia stepped to Scott’s left with Lydia next to her and Alec wandered to one of the corners, a slight smile on his face as he stared at his cell.  Parrish and Peter were the last two to walk in and Parrish walked to the end near Derek while Peter posted up at a wall near Scott.

The alpha addressed them, “We’ve got some things to discuss.”  He glanced back to the elder wolf who smiled and nodded as he looked to his pack and continued, “First, with Peter’s guidance, we are no longer the McCall pack but are the new Hale pack.”

Derek narrowed his eyes at his Uncle, while Stiles flailed his arm towards Scott and demanded, “What’s this Scotty?  One little talk with creeper wolf back home and you want to rename the band?  I thought the McCall pack sounded just fine.”

Peter interrupted Stiles’ verbal hand grenade and stared at Derek as he explained, “It’s simple really.  Scott married into the Hale family, has a Hale for a right-hand man and wants to best protect the town.  He respects tradition.”

Stiles argued as he glared at Peter, “Screw tradition, creeper wolf.  There is no rea- “

Scott cut Stiles off forcefully, “It’s been decided.”

Stiles looked to his best friend and pleaded with puppy dog eyes while Alec snickered in the back, “But Scott.”

Scott softly responded, “Stiles, it’s alright.  What’s a name?  We are still the same pack.”

Malia shrugged while Lydia released a concerned hmmm.  Scott continued, “Do we have any new information on the threat that is killing people?”

Peter smiled smugly as he stepped towards the table, “I have information that the hunters and the other pack ran into issues on the outskirts of Beacon Hills.  I have their former locations if anyone wants to check it out.”  He pretentiously mused, “I would but I’ve got to get the workers back to actually doing work while they are on my payroll.”

Scott nodded as Derek added, “Whatever it is, it doesn’t leave behind a noticeable scent or is able to mask its scent.”

Stiles immediately added, “That and it’s eating them.  Skin, cartilage, everything but the bones.  And the jury is still out if it would eat the bones.  They didn’t have bite marks but who knows.  Don’t forget about the part where it is doing it so fast or paralyzing them because the deputy didn’t even unholster his gun before.”  The agent finished his monologue by making a long sound in the back of his throat while gesturing his thumb across his neck.

Parrish continued, “I managed to reach out to Theo and he responded but most of it was nonsensical gibberish but what I could read from it was Trees, Man, Use Fire.”

Lydia asked, “Gibberish, how?”

Parrish passed his phone to the banshee and she read the message.  She commented, “It’s like he was trying to type in without seeing the keys.  Why wouldn’t he autocorrect it?”

Parrish answered, “Probably because he was being pursued by the large pack and an even larger group of hunters.”

Stiles shook his head as he complained, “What the hell is tree, man, use fire supposed to mean?  I bet he doesn’t even know what we are dealing with and wanted to sound cryptic.  Tree men.  Pffft.”  The agent’s eyes widened as his tone shifted, “No wait.  What if we are dealing with living trees that eat people.  I mean we have a Nemeton, what’s to say these trees aren’t scarfing down some ole long pig.  What if we are dealing with Ents?  An Entmoot.”

The pack stood in silence for a moment before Alec rolled his eyes and caustically responded, “An Entmoot?  You’re kidding right?  There is no such thing as an Ent.  That’s just some Tolkien bs.”

Stiles argued with the young wolf, “You don’t know that.  The Ents could be eating people and spitting out their bones.”

Alec smirked as he continued to stare at his phone, “Sure.”  He dragged out the UR sound with condescension before he continued, “You’re as gay for Tolkien as you are for Derek.”

Stiles face blushed as Derek turned around and glared at the young wolf.

Scott yelled, “Enough.  We aren’t arguing now.  Until we know what it is we should do sweeps around the preserve and see if we can get it put off limits.”  Derek slowly turned to face Scott.

The alpha took a deep breath before he continued, “Stiles and Derek can work together, and Lydia can go with Liam.”  He quickly corrected himself, “Liam’s not here.  I wonder where he is now.”

Alec quietly interrupted before the alpha continued, “Nevada and Utah border would be my guess.”

Derek shifted to look back to Alec as Scott continued, “Alright, Malia can go with Lydia.”

Alec shrugged and arrogantly responded, “Are you sure you want to send your wife to go fight the thing eating people since you knocked her up?”

The entire room fell silent as Alec taped away on the screen of his phone.  Scott looked to Malia, as her face reddened.  Peter yelled at the young wolf, “Is this any way to show respect to your pack?  Put that damn phone away and shut up like a good beta should.”

Alec shoved the phone in his pocket and glared at the eldest wolf as he sarcastically spat, “Thank you Peter for bringing me back to learn how to work in a pack.  I am so much safer here with the monster eating people to the bones than dealing with the kids at the boarding school.”

Peter stormed towards the young wolf and they continued to argue.  The rest of the pack’s eyes went to Scott and Malia as the alpha whispered to his wife, “Is it true?  Are you pregnant?”  His eyes lit up and a small smile crept across his face as he asked the question.

Malia slowly nodded, “Just found out today.  Surprise, we’re having a kid.”

Scott darted to his wife and embraced her.

Stiles and Derek glanced back to the two bickering wolves before Peter yelled, “Keep it up, I can take your phone away, I pay for it.”

Alec argued, “I have my own money.  I don’t need you to pay for it.”

Curiously, Peter asked, “How do you have money?  You don’t have a job.”

Alec smugly smirked, “I sold information at school.  Who’s saying what, who likes each other, what other people are feeling, who’s lying to who about what.  It was really lucrative at a boarding school.”

A proud grin crept across the eldest wolf’s face, “I’m actually kind of impressed.  Maybe sending you there wasn’t a bad idea.”

Stiles commented to the Sourwolf, “Why do I get the feeling that Alec acts like a younger Peter?”

Derek slowly nodded, “You are spot on.”

Scott stepped away from his wife before he continued, “Alright pack.  I will do patrols with Lydia and Alec?”

Alec looked to Scott, “Yeah?”

Scott asked with concern in his voice, “Are you able to work with someone on patrols?”

Alec rolled his eyes as he smirked and flashed his claws and eyes, “I’m not a helpless kid.”

Scott smiled and nodded as he said, “You can work with Parrish.  We should start doing the sweeps tonight, so we can hopefully stop any more killings.”

Derek stepped over to Alec and asked, “How do you know where Liam is?”

Alec mocked the wolf as he fake bowed and sarcastically spoke, “Oh, Illustrious beta, as the lowly omega of the pack, I couldn’t possibly be able to compare my meager knowledge and experience with yours.  Forget I ever said anything.”

Derek growled as Peter laughed and poked his nephew, “The kid is good, right?”


	8. But I Helped!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec and Parrish investigate the wolves' campsite; Theo and Liam talk and Nolan and Brett irritate Lori on their way to finding their alpha

But I Helped!

 

 

Parrish walked around the edge of the preserve, near the town, with Alec following behind.  The teen lazily drug his chucks through the dirt and shifted his backpack as he tapped and swiped his screen.  The deputy glanced back at the teen, who’s face seemed glued to the soft glow of his cell as they walked through the light brush on the moonlit night.  He thought of how they had barely spoke two whole sentences since the deputy picked him up from Derek’s loft.  He hesitated before he asked, “Alec, do you want to make our sweep around the town side of the preserve or check out the outskirts?”

Alec weakly shrugged as continued to stare at his phone, “I don’t know, whatever you want.”

Parrish stopped and faced the disinterested teen.  He watched as the boy almost walked into him before he repeated, in a calm tone, “I’m serious Alec.  Whatever is out here is dangerous.  If Theo’s vague message means anything then I’m probably safe, but you aren’t so I’d like your input.”

Alec slowly lowered the phone and met the deputy’s eye contact.  Initially he appeared confused but after a moment, he asked in a genuine tone, “You seriously want my opinion?”

Parrish nodded, “Yeah.  It’s up to both of us to make sure we come back safe.”

A small smile formed on the teen’s face, “I say we go to the outskirts and see what happened out there.  Walking around the park seems like a waste at best and looking for the next set of bones at worst.”

The deputy smiled and said, “You’re right Alec.  Did you bring something to deal with this thing?”

Alec’s smile shifted to a mischievous grin, “How about a couple of cans of my old roommate’s aerosol body spray and a lighter or two?”

Parrish met the grin as he guided them back to the cruiser, “I’m glad you listened to the message.”

The two men climbed into the cruiser and drove to the outskirts of Beacon Hills. 

As Parrish drove, Alec looked over at him, “What do you think it is?”

The deputy shrugged slightly, “I don’t know.  I don’t think it’s tree men, but Theo sent that part of a message for a reason.  I do trust that fire is how to deal with it.  I tried calling him again and texting but didn’t get an answer.”

The teen nodded and casually said, “That’s because they are on the run.”

The hellhound repeated, “That’s what everyone says.”

Alec shook his head as his voice deepened with seriousness, “No, I mean Theo and Liam are separated from Nolan, Brett, Kira, and Lori.”

Parrish glanced over to the teen with a raised brow, “How do you know this?”

Alec beamed a proud smile, “Nolan and I message each other.  He’s always sending ridiculous pictures and memes.  You should see what he’s been sending about Stiles’ Entmoot.”  The teen laughed after he said Entmoot.

The deputy’s eyes widened, “What?  Why haven’t you told the pack?”

The teen rolled his eyes, “Because they don’t listen to me anyway.”  He sighed before me mocked them, with Peter’s voice, “Alec, good betas are seen, not heard.”  With Derek’s voice, “Alec, do you ever pull yourself away from that phone.”  With Stiles voice, “Shut up Alec, you don’t know what you are talking about.”  With Scott’s voice, “You shouldn’t do that Alec.  I just want you to be safe.”

Parrish fought back a small laugh as Alec’s impersonations were impressive and accurate.  He commented, “Sorry they treat you like that.”  After a moment, a grin crept across Jordan’s face as he asked, “How does my impersonation go?”

Alec’s face blushed from embarrassment, “I can’t do that, Deputy Parrish.”

Jordan laughed before he said, “Just call me Jordan.  That is if you do the impersonation.”

Alec shook his head and looked out the window briefly before he caught the hellhound glancing at him with a smile and replied, “Alright.  I’ll do it but it’s not very good.”

With Parrish’s voice, “Scott, just listen for once.  Stiles, can you please just shut up and let someone get in a word, any word.  Malia, please stop staring at my guinea pig like she’s lunch.  Peter, why do you look like you are one mustache away from being on a registry.  Liam, quit saying we’re the same height, you’re short.  Derek, stop making eyes at Stiles during pack meetings.”  As Jordan laughed, a grin crept across the teen’s face, “Lydia, Lydi~a my hound has a bone for you.”

Jordan playfully punched Alec’s shoulder and the wolf laughed.  Jordan asked, “What do I say to you?”

Alec shrugged, “Before tonight, nothing.”

The deputy’s smile dropped as the truth of the statement hit him.

Parrish pulled the cruiser off the road and parked near the location.  He looked to the teen, “Ready to check this out?”

Alec nodded, “Ready, Jordan.”

 

The two men walked around the meadow that was at least a few hundred feet from the forest.  As they walked, Parrish noticed signs that the wolves quite literally camped on the outskirts.  He saw a few pits that were covered over from when they were firepits.  Alec called out to the hellhound, “I’ve found something.”

Parrish walked over to the teen and looked to the tall grasses where he pointed.  There was a section the size of a duffle flattened.  Alec’s eyes flared as he commented, “Someone died here.”

Jordan knelt and narrowed his eyes as he looked to the ground.  He noticed some dried blood on a larger pebble under the grasses.  He looked around and saw that the only grass that was flattened was this small area.  He stood up and noticed that the spot was on the far side of the encampment, away from the forest.  He mused, “Why here?  Wouldn’t it be easier to kill someone closer to the forest if this thing lives there?”

Alec nodded slowly and commented, “It smells like the forest.”

Jordan looked around before he furrowed his brow and asked, “Wouldn’t that just be the smell from the wood line?”

Alec shook his head, “This scent is concentrated here.”

Parrish looked to the trail that ran around the meadow, back to the preserve, going the long way around the encampment before he asked, “Why use the trail?  Why not walk out of the preserve?”

Alec sighed as he thought before he responded, “What if this person was on watch?  They anticipated issues from the hunters and placing their backs to the forest, the one they can run in and hide and easily outmaneuver.  So, whatever this thing is approached them from the trail or, and I know this might sound silly, didn’t walk.  What if we just assumed that but it could fly?”

Parrish looked up and acknowledged the easy break in the canopy that didn’t begin to block sight or flight until much further in the forest.  He commented, “It’s an idea.  Let’s look around more.”

Alec smiled as he followed the trail away from the forest.  Parrish looked around the high grasses and Alec approached the bend of the trail when some rocks caught his eye.  He stepped closer and noticed there were five stacks of rocks and the dirt around them was scorched with fire.  He called out again, “Found something else.”

Jordan jogged over to the teen and commented as his eyes fell on the stacks, “Graves.  Five wolves died to this thing.  That’s a whole pack.”

Alec nodded slowly before he spoke, devoid of emotion, “But there weren’t any signs of a fight.  But why only five?”

Parrish answered, “Look at the stacks.  Two don’t have any ash around them but the last three do.  What if they figured out they could protect themselves with fire.”

Alec looked to the flattened grass and further back to the covered burn pits, “Whoever was killed there was the furthest from the fire!”

The deputy’s eyes widened, “You’re right.  They had to understand that after the third.”

Alec’s eyes widened as he excitedly stated, “I know why Theo didn’t deal with this first.”

Jordan’s voice filled with anxious curiosity, “Why?”

Alec looked to the hellhound with a smug smile, “Because he was using it to keep the wolves and hunters in check.  He was risking the safety of Beacon Hills from the thing to use it to push them away.”

Jordan confidently continued, “So he knew how to defeat it but knew that if he did, they could wait him out.”

Alec’s smile grew, “That’s what I was thinking.”

Jordan’s exuberance fell as he commented, “Except now, its focus is on the people of Beacon Hills.”  He cleared his throat before he stated, “Let’s head back.”

Alec nodded as they walked towards the cruiser.  Jordan asked, “What were you studying at the boarding school?  I mean for a career.”

Alec shrugged, “I like literature.  But I was thinking I should go into accounting or computer science.  Somewhere I could make money.”

Jordan gently elbowed Alec’s side as he asked, “Have you considered law enforcement, maybe become a detective?”

 

 

Theo snickered with Liam as they sat in the visitor parking of Yellowstone.  Their almost finished spread of gas station food and snacks created an impressive pile of garbage in the free room in the front of the cab.  The chimera said, “What?  Hiding the tracker inside a tractor trailer headed for New England was a great idea.  The hunters wanted a chase, we gave them one.”

Liam’s smile touched his cheeks and eyes as he commented, “Except when they throw open the back to find a refrigerator truck filled with fish.”

Theo genuinely laughed as he finished off his nearly melted slushy, “It’s was that or girl scout cookies and they are not getting the cookies.”

The two men laughed together for a few minutes before Liam glanced out his window on the passenger side before he asked, “How’s the pack?”

The chimera released a sigh to reign in his laughter before he replied, “Good.  Lori is felling stressed while Brett and Nolan are ecstatically happy.  Feels like she’s driving.”

Liam nodded, “What does it feel like?  I know with my bond with Scott, it’s like I get the feeling of his emotions by feeling them.  How is it as an alpha?”

Theo shrugged, “I don’t feel their emotions but almost get a snapshot of them in my head and a warm feeling in my chest.  But I don’t think I feel their emotions because of the way I’m wired.”

Liam raised his eyebrow as he asked, “As a chimera?”

Theo shook his head softly, “No, just who I am as a person.  Too much control.  I can’t remember the last time I was surprised and overwhelmed by an emotion.”

Liam weakly smiled as he commented, “At the motel our first night.”

The chimera smugly smirked, “I was in control.  I only hit you once.  I owe you an ass kicking for the bullshit you put me through.”

Liam anxiously rubbed the back of his head as he asked, “Why did you tell me when you did?  You knew I was leaving to go to college.”

Theo’s smile faded as he looked out his window and said, “Open the glove compartment.”

Liam furrowed his brow as he opened the compartment and found an open letter.  He pulled out the paper and Theo recited as the wolf read it, “Dear Theodore Lindsay Raeken, Congratulations!  I am delighted to offer you admission to the University of California, Berkley for the fall semester.”  He humorlessly laughed, “In light of the outstanding credentials you presented in your application, you and your family have every reason to be proud of your academic and personal achievements.”  After he finished reciting the phrase he mocked the word, “Proud.”

Liam’s eyes began to mist as he looked to the chimera and he asked, uncertain of what he held in his hand, “You were accepted to Berkley too.”

The chimera nodded slowly and weakly spoke, “Yeah.”

Liam shook his head in confusion, “You never told me.  I didn’t know you applied.”

Theo half smiled as he met the wolf’s eye contact, “It was supposed to have been a surprise.  Then when you didn’t say anything to me after I told you that I loved you, I took the hint that you didn’t want me there.”

Liam’s eyes widened as he remembered something and asked, “Wait.  You’re the reason I didn’t have a roommate in the dorms first semester.”

Theo nodded, “Yeah, I spoke to the right people and said the right things to be your roommate.  Then when I didn’t show up, well…”

Liam’s eyes fell as he said, “Fuck.  Why aren’t you in school?”

Theo shrugged, “I only wanted to go because you were.  It’s not like I couldn’t get a job, I work as Peter’s enforcer or I did.”

The wolf leaned over and embraced the chimera, “I’m sorry Theo.  I was an idiot.”

The chimera smugly grinned as he returned the embrace, “Was?”

 

The wind whipped Nolan’s face as he struggled to keep his head up, and constantly blinked.  His full 12-point rack struggled against the force as he shouted, “I don’t think it’s helping.”

Brett laughed in the seat next to the deer as he pulled his head back into the car, as a human.  The deer glared at the tall wolf as he chuffed, and Brett responded, “I thought it might help pick up where Theo is.”

Nolan rolled his eyes as he stated, “They are antlers, not dowsing rods.  And I think I ate a bug or two.” 

The deer started to spit when Brett reached over and pulled him into a playful kiss.  Lori groaned from the driver’s seat as she complained, “We’re supposed to be finding our alpha, not playing games.”

Nolan broke away from the kiss, “Who’s playing a game?  I’m serious.”  As soon as he finished saying serious, Brett giggled with him as they playfully kissed.

She sighed loudly as she stated with anger in her voice, “At this rate, we’ll be in Canada soon.”

Brett pulled back from the kissing and asked, “Where are we now?”

Lori replied, “We just crossed into Wyoming.  Are we even going the right direction?”

Nolan smiled as he answered, “It feels like he is in this direction.  And he’s happy, like really happy, not that fake kind of smile he gives.  And definitely no stress.  Do you think he can tell that I am tracking him?”

Brett shrugged, “I don’t know.  Stick your head out the window again and see if you can send the signal.”

The deer playfully shoved the wolf, “Fuck you Brett.  They aren’t antennas.”

The tall wolf seductively grinned as he replied deeply, in a husky voice, “I’ve got an antenna for you, _Bambi_.”

Nolan leaned towards the wolf and let his hand fall into the welcoming lap.  He rubbed through the denim as he placed a kiss on the tall wolf’s chin.  He faux innocently responded, “I might just have to see this antenna.”

Lori almost screamed, “No!  No!  FUCK NO!  You two are NOT fooling around in the back of this car while I’m driving.  It’s bad enough that neither of you are paying attention to anything else besides what song you want to play over the radio, who posted what memes, and filling the car with your pheromones.  I am NOT going to endure the sight or sound of either of you getting the other off.”

Nolan mischievously smiled as he leaned his head towards the front of the car, “Just keep your eyes on the road and I’ll be real quiet.”

Lori rolled her eyes as she sighed.  The sound of the zipper being opened caused her to yell louder, “I swear, I will wrap this car around the next sign If you touch my brother’s dick with your hand or mouth while I am driving.”

Brett complained as Nolan rezipped his pants, “Just because you are miserable doesn’t mean we should be.”

She loudly tapped her hands against the wheel as she struggled with control, “You two are the reason I am miserable.  At least Kira has peace and quiet.”

Nolan glanced to the truck that followed as he mused, “I wonder if she’d let us mess around in the bed while she drove?”

Brett grinned, “I think we should find out.”

Lori vigorously shook her head and yelled, “Good thing your dicks help us to find Theo.”

Nolan slumped in his seat and pulled out his phone.  He brought up a map and said, “Just drive to the southern entrance to Yellowstone.”

Lori demanded, “Why there?  We are headed that way but why?”

Nolan closed his eyes as he confidently spoke, “Because that’s the direction I’m getting the vibe.  Plus, it keeps getting stronger.”

She sighed in relief and said, “Thank you.  Was that so hard?”

Brett lustfully responded, “I can think of something that is.”  As he finished, the sound of the zipper could be heard again.

Lori jerked the wheel of the car and almost ran them off the road into the fields.

Nolan grumbled, “But I helped!  I should get my prize!”


	9. The Sheep, The Wolf, and The Stag

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theo's pack encounters the wolves but receives help from an unlikely ally; Scott, Stiles, and Lydia run into the monster killing people in Beacon Hills

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter and the new characters are a tribute to my muse with the characters being inspired by his old band. I hope everyone enjoys reading as much as I did writing. Thank you for reading.

The Sheep, The Wolf, and The Stag

 

 

The night weighed on Lori as she drove the white sedan towards Yellowstone.  Brett and Nolan slumbered in the back, the stag draped across the wolf’s lap while Brett seemed impossibly uncomfortable with his head slumped backwards, his mouth open wide as he snored.  She laughed to herself as she spotted an old run-down gas station with a longer wooden building near it.  Two large black vans were parked near the wooden building with a few motorcycles next to it.  She signaled and pulled off the road and next to one of the pumps, making sure Kira made the exit as well.  As she stood at the pump and filled the tank, she looked over to the kitsune as she did the same from the lifted truck. 

Kira asked, “Are we getting closer?”

Lori yawned and wiped a little of the fatigue from her eyes and responded, “Nolan said we were going the right way before he and Brett passed out.  They can’t be that much farther.”

The kitsune smiled and asked, “Why haven’t you made them drive?”

Lori smirked playfully, “So Brett would drive, and I’d have to suffer with Nolan trying to get into his pants more?  No thank you.  This way I can be sure I won’t wake up to a nightmare.”

Kira giggled and asked, “Are they really that bad?”

Lori emphatically nodded and seriously stated, “Yes.  Those two can’t keep their hands off each other.”  She looked into the backseat and saw that Nolan went to sleep with his hand tucked into the rim of Brett’s jeans while Brett’s hand gently cupped the stag’s bubble.  “Even asleep they can’t keep their hands to themselves.”

Kira laughed harder as the pump dinged and she replaced the handle.  She glanced over to the other building, which sounded like the muffled sounds of a band playing music.  She asked, “Do you want to stretch our legs and check it out” as she pointed to the building.

Lori looked to Kira and replied, “It would feel good to not drive for a little while.”

The two women hopped in their vehicles and parked them near the bar. 

 

Liam leaned against Theo as they both stared into the fire they built in one of the designated fire pit areas in the campgrounds at Yellowstone.  The fire warmed them with gentle waves and cast its magic around them as their faces glowed with a yellow and orange tint.  The gentle popping of the wood soothed them as the flames kissed the night air. 

Theo stared into the fire, his eyes appeared to be locked and his mind focused on a distant thought, as Liam shifted his body and looked up at him, “What’s our plan?”

The chimera continued to stare as he softly replied, “For now, wait for the rest of the pack to meet up with us.  After that, honestly, Little Wolf, I don’t know.”

The wolf nodded and after a brief silence, Theo asked, “Do you wish Scott were here?”

The wolf quietly replied, “No.  I’m glad I’m here with you.  It’s okay for us to not know what to do next.  We haven’t even dealt with the wolves yet.”

Theo nodded slowly, “They can’t be that far behind.  We’ll figure out a way.  If I can find a way to meet with their alphas, I might just be able to convince them to give up this pursuit.  Maybe get them to help deal with the hunters.”

Liam asked meekly, “You don’t plan on killing them?”

Theo shook his head, “Not if I don’t have to.  Things are different now.  I’ve got a pack that can handle themselves.  I’m not alone.  I’ve got enough blood on my hands for the entire pack.”

The wolf nuzzled his head against the chimera’s shoulder, “You’re worried about them.  About us.”

The chimera murmured, “Yeah.  I don’t want anyone else to kill, like I have.  I’ll become the monster, so my pack doesn’t have to become one.”

Liam wrapped his arm around the chimera’s shoulder, “And I’m going to make sure that you don’t have to do that.”  His voice perked with enthusiasm as he asked, “What do you want to do when we get back?”

The chimera sighed, “I don’t know Little Wolf.  I’ve thought about not going back but just about every reason I had to leave is gone.  Once we deal with the hunters and wolves, I should have a formal sit down with Scott.  Alpha to Alpha.”  He took a deep breath before he continued, “But, Little Wolf, I will not join his pack.”

Concerned filled the wolf’s voice, “Why?”

Theo admitted with a cold tone, “Because it’s too close to what happened before.  And I don’t want Scott to protect or aid me in any way.  I’ve taken enough from him.”

The wolf squeezed the chimera before he said, “You haven’t taken anything.”

Theo leaned over and kissed Liam on the top of his head, “Yeah, I have, Little Wolf.  I showed him that his ideals are flawed, and his trust is too freely given.  Those two things, he will never get back.  And the worst part, is you.”

The wolf inquired, “How am I the worst part?”

The chimera leaned into the wolf, “Because you should be at his side right now and I don’t feel one ounce of guilt for you choosing to come to mine.  I’m worried your bond with his is weakening while ours grows.”

Liam argued, “I can be with you and still have my bond with him.”

The chimera chuckled humorlessly, “I wouldn’t be so sure of that.  You might want to tap into your wolf and see how it views things.”

Liam thought on what Theo said as they stared into the flames.

Scott, Stiles and Lydia walked the trails surrounding preserve near Beacon Hills High School.  Lydia carried a flashlight, while Stiles carried a medieval style torch.  Scott walked just ahead of them, his eyes red as he investigated the forest for their patrol.

Lydia looked to the agent and asked, her voice filled with annoyance, “Stiles, do you have to carry a literal torch?”

Stiles quickly muttered, “Of course I have to carry a torch.  You haven’t seen what’s left of someone.  There were only bones.  No skin, no muscle, no loose tissue, just bones.  And it happened fast.  I am NOT getting eaten by some ravenous tree because I was too afraid to go medieval torch on it.  Not going to happen.”

The banshee rolled her eyes as she sped up to walk next to Scott.  She looked to the alpha, “Scott, you’re awfully quiet tonight.  Thinking of baby names?”

The true alpha turned to her and a small smiled cracked his serious visage, “No.  But I should.  I was thinking about Kira and Liam.”

Stiles caught up and asked, “Can’t you feel them through the bond?”

The alpha nodded as a jogger approached and passed them, giving an odd glance to Stiles before disappearing into the night, “I can feel Liam’s.  That’s what worries me.”

Lydia’s brow furrowed as she asked, “What?  Is he in danger or hurt?”

Scott shook his head and sounded defeated as he replied, “No.  He’s happy and calm.  Probably the most I’ve ever felt through the bond.”

Stiles interjected, “But that’s just a phase or something, right?  Like he’s glad he found Theo, and everything is going alright.”

Scott sighed deeply, “No.  He’s scared but calm.  He’s anxious but in a good way.  Like he is where he belongs.”

Lydia asked, “You don’t think that he wants to be a part of Theo’s pack, do you?”

The alpha shrugged, “Maybe he doesn’t but his wolf is pulling that way.  Maybe it sees Theo as a better alpha.”

Stiles sarcastically laughed, “Scotty, that is ridiculous.  You are the true alpha, the top dog of top dogs.  Why would his wolf want to follow a fake alpha?  Yeah, I think you are reading way too much into a few feelings.”

Scott’s serious tone killed the agent’s defense, “You don’t know the bond.  He feels like he is in the right place.  He feels accepted and loved.  He’s ready to follow Theo.  It just hurts, you know.”

Lydia continued to the train of thought, “Sounds like the feeling a parent faces when their child follows their heart to be with someone.  Like you are sending Liam off to be with his Theo.”

Stiles argued, “I don’t believe that for a second.  It’s Theo.  Theo doesn’t love anyone, except maybe himself.  I don’t know how he is fooling Liam, but your beta will get wise to it and return back to the nest before you know it.”

Scott glared at Stiles, “I don’t think Theo is fooling him.  I think it’s real.”

Lydia smiled softly at the alpha and began to say something when she dropped her flashlight and held her head.  The two looked to her before she released a deafening scream.  The waves knocked over the weak trees near the edge of the forest and the sound echoed throughout Beacon Hills.

With wide eyes of fear, Stiles asked, “Lydia, what’d you see?”

She barely composed herself to say, “The jogger.  He’s in danger.”

Scott turned around and ran in the direction of the jogger they passed, while Stiles moved to catch Lydia as her legs began to give out.  He cut through the darkness and the smell of flesh and sinew hit his nose.  He saw an unusual oily, pulsating shadow and another smell caught his nose, one he couldn’t replace but it almost smelled sterile with a hint of rot.

As he approached the shadow, which looked to be a man made of darkness turned to him and released an inhumane screech as the pile of bones tumbled to the ground.  Before Scott could reach it, the shadow man disappeared.  He looked to the bones and quickly picked one up.  He felt an unusual slime covering it but barely held on as an incredible pain seared through his hand. 

He dropped the bone and stared at the raw, bloodied skin of his hand.  Stiles and Lydia ran up to him and the alpha stated, “Don’t touch the bones.”

He held up his hand and while he felt his healing working, the flesh refused to grow back.  They stared at his hand and Lydia said, “That is one powerful acid to suppress your healing.”

Stiles asked eagerly, “Was it an evil, man eating tree?”

Scott shook his head, “No.  It was a man made of shadows.  Or at least that’s what it looked like.”

Lydia commented, “We should head back and let Parrish know there is another body.  Maybe we can extract a clue from your hand.”

The true alpha pushed a smile through, “Maybe something good might come from this.”

 

Kira, Lori, Nolan, and Brett stepped out of the run-down bar and Nolan bounced energetically on his heels as he held onto the taller wolf’s arm, “Do you know who that was?  That was “The Wolf and The Lambs”.  They are awesome.”

Brett grinned as he looked into his Bambi’s eyes, “They were good.  But what are they doing performing out in the middle of nowhere.”

Nolan shrugged playfully, “Who knows but we got to see them.”

Lori glanced to Kira, “How did you like them?”

Kira replied, “They were good.  It’s weird because all the music is really upbeat, but their lyrics got pretty dark at times.”

Nolan sang, “And then.  I punched him.  In the fa~ce!”

Kira looked to the deer, “Exactly.  Really upbeat for assaulting quite a few people.”

Lori wore a small smile as she looked to the fox, “That’s because he was finally taking control of his life.  Pushing out everyone that enjoyed his pain.  It’s cathartic.”

Brett rolled his eyes at his sister, “Or he just got tired of people’s shit and fought back.”

The pack laughed and missed the scents that filled the air with malice, with violent intent.  As they walked towards the car, a taller, dark skinned man with tightly cropped black hair wearing an open zip up hoodie and black fatigues stepped towards them.  His eyes flashed blue as he looked to Brett and addressed them, “Scott McCall’s pack.  It’s about time we found you.”

Nolan stumbled backwards as he immediately deered out while Brett and Lori flashed their golden eyes.  Golden and blue eyes flashed from the wood line and two more shadowed figures stepped towards them.

The man continued, “Take us to your alpha and you don’t have to pay for his crimes.”

Kira whipped her belt off to become her sword while Brett stepped forward as he growled, “You aren’t going to touch my alpha or my pack.”

The man viciously grinned, “I wouldn’t be so sure.  Four against thirteen doesn’t sound like very good odds.  And it’s only your alpha that we want.”

Lori stepped next to her brother and growled at the man, while Lori and Nolan flanked the pair. 

The door from the bar slammed open and the band, three guys and two women ran up behind the pack while the scrawny trumpet player darted towards the large black van with a large, welded metal V that stretched across the front of it.  The lead singer stepped up next to Kira, his eyes flashed red as he addressed the man, “How about ten to thirteen.  I feel bad though, you should’ve brought more people.”

Brett looked to the singer, the man stood only a couple of inches shorter but was broader, with a mane of flowing jet hair, a glorious black beard with rich olive skin.  His imposing stance was offset by his cute black t shirt with a wet baby owl that read in huge multicolored letters: Moist Owlet.  The blue-eyed wolf growled at the new alpha.

The singer released a loud howl which shook the trees at the edge and caused the beta to flinch.  The singer yelled, “Who wants some?”  The black van slammed in reverse and tore out like it was going to drive away.

Nolan grinned to his wolf, “I told you this band is awesome.”

Brett chuckled as two wolves charged towards them.  With claws raised they almost made it to Nolan before the van slammed into one of them and threw him into the other as they tumbled painfully and skidded in human form against the asphalt. 

The band charged into the woods while Brett and Nolan attacked the blue-eyed beta.  As the man dodged the tall wolf’s slash, Nolan stabbed into the side of his torso with his rack.  Growls and screams filled the air and Kira and Lori joined the fray while the van driver shouted in a British accent, “That’s right, mates, fuckem’ up!”

The attacking wolves retreated after several of their members went down and the pack didn’t give chase.  Brett looked to the alpha and extended his hand, “Thanks for the help.”

The alpha firmly grasped it while his band moved to the vans and loaded up.  He asked, “Which way are you headed?”

Nolan looked to the alpha, “We’re headed” He point in the direction of the road to Yellowstone, “That way.”  The deer smiled like a child as he continued, “You were awesome, Lenin.  I didn’t know you guys were a pack.”

Lenin glanced at the deer man with huge antlers and grinned, “And I didn’t know deer people were a thing.”  He looked to Brett, “We’ll take you to your alpha since we are already heading that way.  We fucked them up, but they won’t be down long.”

The wolf agreed, and the caravan left the bar and headed towards Theo and Liam.

 

Theo mused that if someone had told him a day ago he’d be sitting in front of a fire in the woods around Yellowstone with another alpha, he wouldn’t have believed it.  Lenin sat next to him, just a little away from the rather large group, with Liam hugged into the chimera's side.  The chimera looked to the members of “The Wolf and The Lambs”.  Gino and Jersey, one of the betas and their emissary sat immediately to their right.  Gino looked to be a bad stereotype of an Italian greaser, with his black hair slicked back, wearing a white t and leather jacket.  He argued with Jersey, the beefy guy with frosted tips and the unmistakable accent.  He flinched as Gino’s face scrunched in concentration as he stitched the slash on his arm closed, his teeth clenched tightly on the toothpick held in his lips.

Jersey commented, “‘Ey Gino, you don’t have to pull so much.”

The pale, short and slender girl with almost overly large red hair, big in the almost 80s way, in what looked to be grunge wear with a destroy leather jacket, glared at Jersey, “That’s what you get for fighting werewolves.  You’re our emissary for fucks sake.” 

Gino chuckled to himself as Jersey shot back, “Fuck you, Blair.  If I want to kick skulls, I kick skulls.”

The chimera watched the androgynous drummer, slender with a soft hue, clear blue eyes, with short cut black hair wearing a blue cut off flannel and frayed jean shorts, as they walked over to Lori and Kira and slid to sit between them. 

Gino nodded his head towards the drummer with a grin and remarked to Jersey, “Looks like Coney is on the move again.”

Coney leaned towards Lori and cupped their hand over the beta’s ear as they whispered so lightly that he couldn’t hear what was said.  A blush spread across Lori’s face as she giggled and looked over to Kira.  Coney leaned back, wearing a grin before they repeated the gesture with Kira.

The kitsune shook her head and stated, “I didn’t hear what you said.”

Coney’s eyes rolled, and they repeated the whisper.  Kira shook her head again and Coney laced hands with both Lori and Kira.  With a knowing look, Kira gasped as they stood together, “Oh!”

The three walked into the forest and Jersey commented, “Ey, Gino, finish up.  I should go protect them, you know from threats that only the emissary could deal with.”

The scrawny waif of a man with rich dusky skin, and a mop of thick curly hair, wearing a tight denim vest, beat up graphic t, and black skinny jeans called towards the emissary with his thick British accent, “Sit down Jersey.  The girls and Coney don’t need your help.  I’m sure _he’s_ got it under control.”

Nolan gasped and looked across Brett to the trumpet player, “I didn’t know your pack had a British wolf.”

Lenin laughed deeply as he responded, “We don't. Nigel is from Poughkeepsie.  He just talks like that ever since he went on vacation to England a few years back.”

Nigel glared at his alpha and retorted, “It was a summer abroad.”

Gino laughed as he cut the string with his claw, “Nigel, we didn’t ask about what girls you banged on the island.”

The glare shifted to the greaser as Nigel responded, “Abroad!  Not a broad.  I spent the summer studying there.”

Blair looked over the group and commented a bit of anger in her voice, “So none of the guys in Theo’s pack are straight?”

As Liam rested his head against Theo’s chest he casually commented, “I could be bi.”

A grin formed on the chimera’s face as he looked down at his Little Wolf with a raised eyebrow.  Blair quickly followed up, “You’re short.”

Brett busted into tears as he laughed at the conversation.  Nolan elbowed his wolf as he lightly giggled and said, "Don't tease, Brett."

The tall wolf grinned to his stag, "I'll be good, Bambi."

Liam argued, “How can you call me short?  I’m taller than you!  What?  You aren’t even five foot tall!”

Blair jumped to her feet and growled as her eyes flashed gold, “I will fight you in a parking lot!”

The packs laughed as Theo commented to Liam, “Don’t anger our new friends, Little Wolf.”

The chimera looked to the other alpha, “Lenin, what brings your pack this way?”

The taller alpha answered, “We’ve been travelling following gigs.  We had to leave home with all the shit our last alpha started.”

Theo tilted his head, “What happened?”

Lenin continued, “I am a born wolf and my band, are my friends.  We all grew up together.  It was a couple of years ago that our old alpha blew into town, alone and being chased.  That’s when he pulled me to be his pack.  I didn’t care, until he gave the bite to my friends against their will.  That was strike one.”

Lenin took a deep breath before he continued, “Then his shitstorm blew into town.  That fucker tried to send my friends into the meat grinder to save his own skin.  So, after we stomped the pack trying to kill him, I took him out.”

Theo asked, “You killed him?”

Lenin nodded, “Yeah.  Strikes two and three, don’t hurt my family, don’t be a coward.”

Liam inquired, “You clawed him to death?”

Lenin chuckled darkly as he answered, “Nope.  Curb stomped him.  Claws would’ve been too good for him.”  He flashed his eyes red, “And now I’m an alpha.”

Liam asked curiously, “But he was an alpha werewolf?”

Lenin smirked as he responded, “Didn’t matter to the curb.”  He laughed a little before he continued, “And then Jersey found out about us, since his Ma was the last emissary for the pack my Grandma belonged to.  The rest is history.”  He looked to the chimera, “What about you?”

Theo took a deep breath, “Well, I guess my story to becoming an alpha, this time, started with Little Wolf.”  He squeezed the wolf before he explained being pulled from hell, dealing with the Ghost Riders, Hunters, and the Anuk-Ite.  He explained how Brett and Lori joined his pack and how he protected Beacon Hills.  As he spoke, Lenin’s eyes widened as the other alpha took in the long, convoluted story that was the life of Theo Raeken.

After Theo finished the story, Lenin took a few moments to take it in, “So, Theo.  What are you planning to do about the pack following yours?”

The chimera furrowed his brow as he answered, “I was hoping your pack might be able to help mine, one more time.”


End file.
